Caught Up!
by Kanto the Slayer
Summary: I. Have. RETURNED. Muahahahaha. And it's not over yet. I still have plenty of firepower for those of you who have been waiting. Next chapter will be coming as soon as I can get my bearings straight. AU, JinAsuka
1. The Dance

Jin Kazama was casually looking out of the top floor balcony of his mansion.

He wondered about many things of late… about how he wouldn't be able to suppress the demon within him for much longer, about the betrayals he had suffered as of late, about his mother, who still seemed to guide him… and about the brown-haired woman who seemed to have a sudden interest in him.

_I wonder what she would think if she knew what I was…_

He walked back in with a sigh, and headed towards the phone next to his bed, remembering that night in downtown Shinjuku… the night that started this entire mess in the first place…

* * *

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction… 

_**Caught Up!**_

Now mostly, I don't write this genre or this rating, but I will anyway. This is one of my lighter pieces, and seeing as I had this thought in my head all day, I just decided, "Hell with it, why not." First time on this sort of thing, so don't light me completely on fire.

**Standard Disclaimer:** Tekken 5 isn't mine, nor is anything in the Tekken series. "Caught Up" isn't mine either, but it belongs to none other than my boy Usher. If you listen to this song while you're reading the scene in which it is played, then… well, it'll just make more sense that way.

* * *

He hadn't gone out like this in a good long while. 

Over the years, he had been about nothing but training himself to grow strong enough, so that he could crush the Mishima line, once and for all. He was ashamed at what he was- what he would become. He made a solemn vow that when this was over, he would find somewhere to lock himself away.

_It's either that, or kill myself._

But he had gotten a message on his phone lately from the one of the few that bothered to speak with him, besides his rival Hwoarang, who he shared a sort of wary friendship and grudging trust. He was a bit disgusted at the thought of him going anywhere, but somehow, the message convinced him to do something about his current… well, boredom, quite frankly.

"_Hey, answer the phone, Jin! Hello?"_

Ling Xiaoyu. He cringed, the high-pitched voice blaring in his ears. He swore that he could hear a few dogs barking in the distance. Then he shook his head, and continued to listen.

"_Oh, you really aren't there? …Whoopsie. Well anyway, there was this new student that just came in today, right? Well, I'm showing her around the town for a bit, getting her to see the sights. There's this new club that opened that I think she'd really like. Since you had nothing to do, I figured that you'd want to come."_

He sighed to himself. He couldn't dance; much less do anything social without screwing it up these days. Of course, he wasn't like this before, but now it just sucked. He was about to skip the message, when he heard something else.

"_I'm betting that you haven't been able to get your mind off of anything that's happened recently. You really need to get back to who you were, once upon a time. It just seems so far away from when you had seen Miharu, and she was asking about you too. I don't want to let her down…"_

He frowned. That would be a problem, if he made a girl cry. Of course, he did so on many occasions these days, but it didn't mean that he wanted to. He had just learned not to care much. He simply vanished without a trace, not willing to stay in one relationship for too long, due to what he was.

But the boredom and the loneliness were starting to get to him…

"_Look, I have to go. If you don't go for anyone else, just go for me, okay? Think about it, and call me when you decide. Bye…"_

Click.

He sighed to himself. This would be a very interesting evening, if nothing else.

Jin picked up the phone and dialed Xiao's number through sheer memory.

* * *

He arrived in a soft black leather coat, wearing a red skintight shirt and black slacks, along with black dress shoes that shone in the streetlights. His shades had no frames- and had a red tint to them. Finally, he finished the outfit with a pair of black fingerless gloves. He might have been a recluse, but that didn't mean that he didn't know how to dress. 

And with all the women staring at him, he had done a good job.

But he managed to ignore them all as he scanned the line for Ling and Miharu. Sure enough, they were by the bar, the brown haired young lady trying to get a Mai Thai. Jin was a little worried about a drunken Miharu Hiyama…

But then again, when one had just turned the legal age, then one didn't have to worry, so long as they followed the drink limit.

As he approached, he called out to them, his deep, rich voice reaching their ears. "Am I late?"

Ling turned and a smile lit her features. "You came! When you called and asked what time it started, I was wondering if you would really show up, but you're really here!" She jogged over to him and gave him a powerful hug. Of course, he was unfazed. He was used to her hugs by now.

"Good to see you too, Xiao. And Miharu; looking good, as always." She smirked at him, with her hands on her hips. "Just good? Jin, you're terrible; how could you say that, when I got dressed in my best outfit for this?"

She spun once, showing off her denim jacket, the words "sexy little thing" on the back in glitter. She also wore a white halter top, and a pleated skirt that hung just low enough to tease. Her lip gloss shimmered in the lights, making them have a faint glow to them. The eye shadow was a light color, but there was just enough to give her that "I'm here to party, dammit" look to her.

Xiao was decked out in a stunning red qi pao, the hem reaching just to her knees, and wearing silk hose. A golden print of a phoenix was all across the front, while a dragon was on the back. She had her hair down for once, the black strands hanging down neatly, ending just at the middle of her back.

"You both look great. But then again, we're not just here to look good, right? Where's this girl that I was supposed to meet?"

Xiao looked around her, as if it were the first time in a while since she had been asked that. When she suddenly spotted her, she pointed in the direction of the dance floor. "She's already at it."

There, in the middle of the floor where people had cleared a space, was what Jin thought of as a goddess… or at least an angel. Brown hair and deep, chocolate brown eyes, and wearing a very sexy outfit. It was, first of all, mostly blue and white, a sleeveless body suit that was unzipped all the way to the bottom, with a black belt snug around her waist. Her top, a solid blue, added to the outfit, and even the glasses, frameless like Jin's, had a blue tint. Of course, the legs had to be answered for, but the suit ended with shorts instead of pants, exposing her well-toned, yet shapely legs.

For all instances and purposes, she was his opposite for this evening.

…_Well, damn._

Then, he caught himself. It would seem like the others were being ignored.

"I see you like her already," Ling teased.

He looked at her with a piercing glare for a moment, and then sighed. "Was I staring that hard?"

She and Miharu giggled. "Yup. I'm surprised you stayed on your feet, she's on fire tonight," Xiao's best friend commented. "Or could you tell that already, from where you were standing?"

He looked behind him with the same glare that he gave his friend, and all she did was laugh. She thought it was hilarious, how he still took things so seriously, even while he was the most popular guy in school. "I wish I had brought a camera- that look is priceless!"

He sighed to himself, and managed a smile as he looked out to the dance floor.

He started to feel like… himself again.

* * *

She moved with grace and rhythm, her body swaying in time with the music. Her steps had style, and her spins had grace. It was as if she were made for dancing. She couldn't resist a good beat, and just as soon as she got back from the bathroom, bolted to the dance floor. 

She just couldn't stop moving to the music. Her friends said that she could dance to anything, just as long as she could nod her head to it. But it wasn't just that. She was good at dancing- and by that, it meant so good, she could draw a crowd and get them to dance too.

But that wasn't happening right now. Right now, she was showing her stuff. She knew that she was being watched by everyone, and had caught the eye of many who were simply sitting there. But the only one that interested her was a man at the bar.

One who was dressed as if he were her polar opposite. Even from this distance, she could tell that he was staring, and liked what he saw, though she had a feeling that he wouldn't tell anyone else if he got the chance.

He also looked uptight- as if something were constantly bothering him- hounding him, almost. She decided that after she was done, she would talk to him. For now…

It was time to dance.

* * *

He caught himself staring at her more than once, and admitted, albeit grudgingly, that he was attracted to her. Love, no. He wasn't fool enough to be smitten from the first look. But… yes, he was attracted. There was something in the way she moved on the floor- grace, beauty, and rhythm. It all fit. 

_A little too well, if you ask me._

But this wasn't the time to second guess or have suspicions. He was here to unwind, instead of worry over nothing but a hunch. But then, as soon as he thought of it, he heard the crowds cheer and the dance floor fill back up. So she was finally getting tired? Well, that was a shame. He liked watching her-

"Whoops, incoming."

Just as soon as Miharu said it, Jin saw the woman in question head towards him, looking at him appraisingly. It was when she was right in front of him when he felt the most uptight and nervous. Her first two words to him almost had him fall over.

"You're cute."

If they would've seen the look on his face, Ling and Miharu would've cracked up. But then, he surprised them by actually responding to her.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself, especially your moves."

She smiled, and her face lit up when she did so. He found that he liked it when she smiled, and could do nothing but smile as well. "Oh really? Sounds like you know a little bit about dancing yourself."

He shook his head at this. "I don't dance. You don't want to see me dance, really."

She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side, looking at him with a teasing, challenging stare. "Oh, really? I beg to differ… 'cause these clothes… look like something that you dance in. Isn't that right, guys?"

Not wanting to waste an opportunity to tease Jin, they chimed in. "She's got a point! Go dance, Jin; It'll be fun!" said Xiaoyu, who was doing her best to suppress a laugh. "Yeah," added Miharu, who was having far too much fun. "Go for it. Show us what you got!"

He sighed, and finally gave up. "You know, I don't like being ganged up on. Fine, I'll do it. But if I do, you have to tell me your name afterwards." She smirked at him, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Too simple of a request. I know you can do better than that, cute boy."

Okay, the challenge was set. Now he would have to deliver something bigger. "Fine, name and phone number. Take it or leave it." She nodded. "Done. But that's only if you dance better than me. Got that?"

As soon as she finished her sentence, a hypnotic beat sounded off.

**_G's up! Oh! Oh! Heh, yeah, yeah, c'mon_**

"Ah, just the song. I happen to like this one, and that means you're going down. Hard."

She scurried off to the dance floor, and he shook his head. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

_**Pop a collar to this, you a playa, pop a collar to this (You know how we do…)**_**_  
Gangstas- pop a bottle to this, if you pimpin', pop a bottle to this_**

Jin was already into it. His very footsteps were to the beat of the song as he walked towards the floor. Whatever reservations he had about dancing were out the window, now that the beat had gotten to him. The crowd started to let him through, and bobbed their heads to the beat, waving their hands. The floor had to be cleared again- the best dancer in the building was on the scene, and it looked like it was her song.

She started to sway her hips to the rhythm, moving in time with the song. She started clapping her hands, and the crowd did it as well. When she was ready, she whirled on Jin and started her steps.

_**I'm the kind of brotha  
Who been doin' it my way,**_  
**_Gettin' my way for years_**  
_**In my career**_

_**And every lover  
In and out my life,  
I've hit, loved and left in tears  
Without a care**_

She moved with all the energy that the song gave her, flowing from one move to the next as if she were born to do such a thing. It wasn't even the first chorus, and she was putting up a fight. Jin thought that it would be over quickly, seeing as it looked like she would tire out.

He would soon find it hard to follow her verse.

_**Until I met this girl who turned the tables around  
She caught me by surprise and  
I never thought I'd be the one breaking down**_

The crowd started to get into it, moving with the song and with her moves. With everyone behind her, she was sure to get something out of this. And it still looked like she was warming up… then, she walked toward Jin and danced right in front of him, winking at him as she did so. Before the chorus sounded off, she pulled away in three turns…

**_I can't figure it out why…_**

And she turned it on.

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Got me feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I don't know what it is,  
But it seems she's got me twisted**_

Her moves were complex, but smooth and sexy, still moving in time with the song as if she hadn't missed a beat. She definitely had the crowd behind her now, and she got the club jumping with her moves, the beat taking over.

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Got me feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I'm losin' control-  
This girl's got a hold on me!**_

With a stomp, she ended her routine and pointed at Jin, daring him to top it. He walked towards the floor, casually taking his jacket off and tossing it to the side, just next to the DJ station before briefly loosening up.

_**Lemme go, baby…**_

And then, he swung into his dance, gliding across the floor with his hands still in his pockets, his feet effortlessly sliding across the floor. As the crowd watched his graceful moves, he started putting a few steps into his movements, and it started looking like a decent set of moves. Even the woman across the floor started bobbing her head to his moves.

_**Now listen!**_

_**My momma told me,**_  
"_**Be careful who you do,  
Cuz karma comes back around"  
Same ol' song**_

_**But I was so sure  
That it wouldn't happen to me,  
Cuz I know how to put it down…  
But I was so wrong!**_

He started to get into some interesting steps, his whole body moving and swaying to the beat, just as easily as hers was. He said that no one wanted to see him dance, as if he were some kind of walking disaster. Apparently, not only did he lie, but he was overly humble.

_**This girl was mean;  
She really turned me out!  
Her body was so tight-  
I'm lookin' for her in the daytime with a flashlight  
My homies say this girl is crampin' my style**_

He did his own fancy little spin before stopping on a dime, then took two short steps forward as the song swung into the second chorus…

_**And I can't figure it out, but…**_

And he took off on his own tangent, not willing to be shown up.

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Got me feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I don't know what it is,  
But it seems she's got me twisted**_

His moves had some serious attitude to them. Though they weren't as graceful, and had less turns and spins, he definitely had something going for him, and managed to get everyone moving as much as his opponent had. His steps matched the song perfectly, and had his own personal style to them.

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Got me feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I'm losin' control-  
This girl's got a hold-**_

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Really feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I don't know what it is,  
But it seems she's got me twisted**_

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Really feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I'm losin' control-  
This girl's got a hold on me!**_

By the time the chorus repeated, the girl in blue started dancing along with him, putting her own moves into play. Everyone had to admit- they worked well together. Ling and Miharu were dancing as well, though they were nowhere near as good. But they didn't care much.

_**And I think I like it baby!  
Oh nooo, oh no  
Ooh, yeaah, oh my**_

The two rivals on the dance floor slowly made their way to each other, stepping in time to the rhythm and with an intense gaze directed at one another. They were so far into the dance that it had stopped being a competition altogether.

_**Pop a collar to this, you a playa, pop a collar to this  
Gangstas- pop a bottle to this, if you pimpin', pop a bottle to this**_

_**Pop a collar to this, you a playa pop a collar to this**_  
**_Gangstas (Oh!)- pop a bottle to this, if you pimpin', pop a bottle to this_**

As soon as she got close enough to him, she turned and swayed her hips, grinding her backside against Jin's hips. All he had to do was grab onto her hips and flow with it, his body moving in time with hers. "You're pretty good, you know. Did you lie about not being able to dance?"

_**This girl was mean;  
She really turned me out!  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, suga**_

He shrugged at this. "I don't like to talk about it much. Besides, talk is cheap, right?"

_**My homies say this girl is crampin' my style**_

She smiled at him, that same bright smile, and then pulled away from him with a wink. "You're right. So try and keep up, cute boy!"

As the chorus broke out again, she stood next to him, and he got himself ready. This would be the hard part for him… but he was so confident now that anything could happen, and he was sure that he could keep up.

But that confidence would soon be tested.

**_Ooooooh, I'm so_**  
_**Caught up!  
I'm feelin' it, yeah!  
Caught up!  
Don't know what it is,  
But it seems she's got me twisted**_

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Really feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I'm losin' control-  
This girl's got a hold-**_

They started dancing in tandem, each step moving perfectly with the other. She started out simple, so Jin could get into the groove again. To her surprise, he followed her a little too easily, keeping his eyes forward, only looking from the corner of his eye when he needed to.

_You think you're something, huh? Well, here we go then!_

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
I'm so  
Caught up!  
I don't know what it is,  
But it seems she's got me twisted**_

_**I'm so  
Caught up!  
Really feelin' it!  
Caught up!  
I'm losin' control-  
This girl's got a hold on me!**_

She started turning on the pressure, putting her best moves on the table for him to follow. But, even through the complicated steps, spins and turns, he had matched her perfectly, step for step and beat for beat.

As the song stopped, they looked at each other in admiration, more out of respect than anything else. That and a certain something else that drove them onward. At that point, they were both on the same page…

_He really does look cute…_

_She looks even better up close…

* * *

_

As they made their way back to the bar, they had learned a few things about each other; they would skip the introductions for later. Of course, they wouldn't say everything right now, but over time, they would come to really know each other.

_Hopefully, this will be the one. I sure as hell like the way she moves._

"Whoo-hoo! Way to go, Jin!" piped Ling as they approached. "You really put it on out there!"

He shrugged. "Gotta do something in my free time, besides train all the time."

The girl spoke up suddenly. "So, that's why you're such a good dancer- you're a fighter, aren't you? I knew it from the way you were standing all casual, staring at me, obviously interested, and yet without any real reaction until you hit the floor."

He stared at her for a brief moment, and then everything clicked into place. "So, you're a martial artist. Now I see why you're so graceful. I have to admit, I like the way you move."

Miharu quirked an eyebrow, walking towards Jin and nudging him with an elbow. "A little chemistry, maybe?"

"Quit that, Miharu. It's bad enough that you guys invited me- you know that I didn't want to get out of the house today."

Ling pouted, trying her best to look cute. "That's the problem- you don't want to get out, period. Just sit there brooding, planning something without telling anyone, locking yourself in your own little world. That's not healthy, and it's not right. You have to let things go sometimes, y'know?"

She shrugged, and before he could say anything else, introduced the new girl that stood before him. "You've just met Asuka, one of the best new friends a girl could ever make. Asuka, meet the former most popular guy in our school, Jin."

Jin rolled his eyes, but extended his hand anyway. "It's nice to finally make your acquaintance." She slyly took her glasses off and smiled that same beautiful smile, the one that a man would kill for. As her hand slid comfortably into his, he felt something else arrive with it- it felt like a slip of paper.

"Don't get all formal with me now… Jin. I want us to be good friends."

* * *

Later, when he got back home, he would find a note on the paper, along with her phone number. 

"_Here, as promised. Call me sometime- we can talk more. We have to dance again sometime… I owe you a sound beating."_

_Asuka

* * *

_

**Chapter 1: The Dance  
**

Okay, this was the most interesting ficcie I've ever conjured.

It started when I heard the song "Caught Up" by Usher. The video is awesome, by the way. I started imagining Jin Kazama dancing to this song, along with someone fresh and interesting. Seeing as there were plenty of XiaoJin and J-J's (Julia and Jin stories) out there, I decided to go with Asuka Kazama, from Tekken 5.

Now in this fic, which happens to be somewhat of an alternate universe in between T4 and T5, Jin and Asuka are presented as a couple. I'm betting you're asking why, when they are brother and sister, for all cases and purposes.

Quite frankly, if the situation were different, I think that this pairing would work pretty well, and my sick, twisted mind wanted to try it out. Be lucky, dear reader, that this is a PG-13… I can twist this so many ways, it'll make your head spin.

Click on the review button on your way out, please. Thank you, and good reading.

_Ja ne_.


	2. The Spar

"_Hello?"_

Jin's voice was more confident, now that he was actually on the phone instead of face to face. It was a problem that he had developed from being away from any human contact for a good, long while, and he made it a point to get over it one day.

_That is, if I don't turn into a monster first._

"It's me… Jin. Y'know, from the club?"

"_Oh, the cute one who can dance really well? Hey, nice to hear from you!"_

He cringed. She sounded so innocent- of course she was, she didn't really know him. On the other hand, he didn't really know her, either. So he considered himself safe, as well as her. It didn't have to go any further than a friendship and a flirt.

Then again… there was something about her…

"Yeah, nice to hear from you too. So then, what should we talk about first?"

"_Yeah… what to talk about. Well, how about fighting? We both seem to have that in common. What kind of style do you use?"_

He shrugged on his end. "Just karate. Nothing special, really. You?"

She had a note of pride in her voice as she rattled off her full style name. At the mention of it, Jin just about dropped the phone.

"_Kazama-Ryu Aikido."

* * *

_

Since people couldn't seem to get enough of the first one…

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

**Disclaimer**: Not mine. Don't sue.

**A.N.** – You guys are really something else. You actually want to see this kind of stuff? Meh... Well remember, it's only a story- a concept that just came to mind once upon a time. It's going to take all I've got to keep this going. Any advice would help.

* * *

He had to catch his breath at the mention of his mother's art. _Calm down- it's only natural that others use it as well. There is nothing wrong with that, right? Just keep it together._

"_Hello? You still breathing over there?"_

It was ironic that she had said that, though it was meant as a joke. He was busy trying to get air back in him again. When he composed himself, he sighed deeply.

"I'm fine. Just a little shocked, that's all."

She sounded a little confused. _"By the technique? It's just a special brand of aikido, that's all. Not very well known, either, but then again, something so effective isn't supposed to be well-known."_

He had to smirk at this. She certainly had a lot of pride, for someone who was supposed to be able to fight. "You're awful confident, in your Art, aren't you?"

He could almost feel the smirk from the other end of the line. _"You better believe it. I've had to break up more fights in Osaka than you can imagine with that style- so yeah, I have to be confident."_

He had to agree. One needed a certain level of self-assurance to fight someone in the first place- but they also had to be careful that confidence didn't turn to arrogance. She seemed to have it together in that department. He liked that.

"_I'm betting you wouldn't mind sparring with me one day, huh? After all, it's just karate, and mine's nothing special either."_

Jin shook his head. If only she knew how special it was- the massive spiritual power that one was able to command if they were a master of the Kazama-Ryu style of Aikido. Still, he would just have to see just how strong she was.

He would be a good judge- he had used the technique himself, once upon a time.

"I'd be honored. When?"

* * *

Jin arrived on very familiar grounds that afternoon, wearing his customary blue and white hooded jacket, a golden flame motif on both the pants and jacket, looking as if the whole thing were on fire. He wore a black skintight shirt underneath the jacket- all in all, a plain enough outfit, for a fight..

He managed to get himself back here, even after all those years of abandoning the place- and now here he was, just off the bus from Shinjuku. He took a look around, and found that the place had not changed after all this time.

He couldn't help but smile as he re-entered one of the many places where he had been raised.

_So, Asuka is a student here. No wonder she talked so much about it. I'm betting that she's the top student, too. Or maybe not- we'll see for sure._

He walked in, only to see that she was already practicing, wearing the usual montsuki, along with the hakama and tabi. She had a black obi around her waist- three stripes.

_Damn… I suppose I'm going to have a rough time. But does she understand the truth behind the style? These techniques aren't just any old style. This art is used to slay demons… or at least, that's what mother told me._

She was quiet, the only thing sounding off were her kiais as she delivered her attacks in a hitori waza, stomping when an opponent was downed, striking at enemies that only she could see. She slammed forward, one foot slamming down on the ground hard as she shoved her palm forward, apparently ending the practice.

The force of the attack sent a shock through the ground, and even from where he stood, Jin could feel it.

_She really is strong… just like mother was._

As she bowed out of the practice, wiping her forehead with the cloth that she had tucked in her hakama, she spoke without turning around, her speech directed at Jin.

"How long have you been standing there?"

He smirked. She definitely had the spiritual powers too. But just to check…

"Long enough. How did you know I was here?"

She shrugged. "Just felt something. Had a feeling you were here, you know? It's kind of like... 'Ah, there he is, just like I expected.' Know what I mean?"

He nodded. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah. I have to say, you looked graceful in that hitori waza. More like a dance than a fight. But then again, I wouldn't want to be the guys stuck in that situation- I could feel your power strikes all the way from here."

She turned to him, quirking an eyebrow. "You know more about this than you let on. What gives?"

He stayed silent on the subject, and started loosening up. It was just about show time.

"Hello, earth to Jin? You there or do I have to put a bokuto to your head?"

He sighed to himself. This would be difficult. "Fine, I'll let you in on it… if you can best me. You said that you still owed me a sound beating… well, here comes your chance."

She smiled with a mock sweetness. "Oh, you don't want that… I could break your heart, not to mention your ego. You sure you wanna get beat by a girl?"

He shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time."

The smile turned into a cruel, almost evil smirk. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

After they were done stretching, the two of them bowed to the portraits before they walked on to the mat, and Jin even took off his shoes before stepping on. He had one hand on his hip and the other one hanging loosely, as if it were simply wasting time.

She wasted no time in bowing, and got into her stance. He simply and sharply inclined his head, daring her to step forward with an attack. Afterwards, he got into stance, and waited.

For a long while, no one did anything. Then Asuka's eyes narrowed and she cried out as she rushed forward.

"_Hajime!"

* * *

_

Watching from the sidelines was a mysterious figure that had somehow slipped in unnoticed. It was a hulking figure with red eyes, wearing something along the lines of an oversized trench coat. Most of his clothes were torn to shreds, but that was very likely, considering how damned big he was.

He said nothing for now, simply watched the two of them.

* * *

Asuka leapt through the air, kicking out at Jin with her right leg. He managed to block it with both arms, though the attack had made him stumble backwards. Not wasting any time, she spun around as she landed, hitting Jin right in the solar plexus with her left fist, before striking two more times with said same fist, once in the face, and with another spin, another time in the gut.

With one final double lift kick, he was sent into the air… only to be sent spinning with a heavy uppercut, and hitting the ground hard.

But she didn't stop there, as she cartwheeled through the air, aiming to land right on top of him.

_Not this time._

Jin rolled away, allowing her to stomp on the area where he once was, the floorboards nearly breaking under her feet, even with a training mat.

_Such strength! Fine… how's this?_

As he rose to his feet, Jin landed an uppercut to her jaw that happened to send her off of her feet, and followed with two quick right backhand blows, finishing the job with a left shin kick that sent her flying toward the mat.

She was in pain, but managed to roll away and quickly stand, getting into stance again.

"Not… too bad."

He stood up, equally hurting, but still able to fight.

"You're pretty good… yourself. But this… is where your momentum stops."

She cautiously approached him, still in her ready stance. "Oh? What makes you so sure?"

He smiled and dropped his stance, completely lowering his guard. "I know your style like the back of my hand. The few moves you've shown me are enough."

She dropped her guard, ever so slightly… "Huh? And well do you know this-"

Before she could say style, he was advancing, seeing the drop in her guard. He slid low, getting ready for a thunder hook fist that would send her reeling. And she didn't see it coming, seeing as she was momentarily startled.

_What the- he's so fast!_

His left hook connected against her ribcage, and she held it in pain… only to look up and find that a right thrust punch was headed her way. And she couldn't find a way to block that one, either. The attack connected solidly with her nose, followed by a downwards left cross, knocking her to the floor.

As Jin raised his left leg for a downward axe, she managed to roll to the side and end up in a crouching position, still holding her aching side. She smirked anyway. Jin was in for a surprise… As she rose to her feet, she swung out at him with two sets of wheel kicks, her legs arcing in two horizontal circles.

She didn't even complete number one.

Jin grabbed the first leg that he could get and threw her towards one of the mats on the wall, her body slamming safely- and yet still heavily- onto the mat before sprawling onto the floor.

"_Twin cloud kicks._ It's a simple move, but effective when one least expects it. You see now? I know every move you're going to make, before you make it."

She lifted herself to her feet slowly, glaring at him as she did so. "There's no way that's possible! The only way that could happen is if you had trained in this before, and I don't see any evidence! Sure, you know… you may have studied it outside of the dojo. But I'm not going to quit early, just because you know a few tricks!"

She rushed again, and Jin performed a low left leg sweep to knock her off of her feet… just as she moved her right arm downwards to catch his leg and throw it to the side, following up with a double attack, the knuckles of her left fist slamming into his chin before she delivered a palm strike with her right arm.

Jin hit the ground again, and he was starting to get irritated. So she knew a few other techniques. He would simply have to be careful, that was all. He sprung back to his feet and shuffled his way towards her, wary of any odd movement.

Of course, she was on the offensive again as soon as he got to his feet, a left jab aimed for his face. Though he had little time to do so, he parried the attack and swung at her in a right uppercut, nearly hitting her square on the chin.

She suddenly turned to her right, avoiding the attack altogether, then turned once again until she was completely on his side before delivering a hard spin kick to his head, her heel slamming into the back of his head, flooring him again..

He simply got back up, a look of utter frustration on his face. He might have been able to predict her moves, but she used them in such a way that he wasn't able to counter. He had a grudging admiration for her as he got into stance again.

_She's a genius at mother's style. I can't counter her effectively, and if I attack head on, it'll just be disastrous._

"Well? What's the matter? Are you out of fight already?"

He sighed to himself. He was going to have to attack head on anyway… so he ran forward again, preparing to attack. She met his rush with the same kick she had opened the fight with, trying to knock him skyward again.

This time, he saw her set up for it, and as soon as she delivered it, he slid underneath the attack, leaving her exposed. As he rose from his crouch dash, he delivered a hard right roundhouse punch, sending her spinning through the air and onto the mat again.

It took her longer to get up from that one.

"I admit… you're pretty strong. Stronger than I thought you'd be," she said as she lay there on the mat, looking up at the ceiling breathlessly. "I think I'm going to have to take a break."

Jin smirked. "Does this mean that I win?"

She sat up and huffed at him. "That what you want me to say- that you won? After we knocked each other back and forth like that, I'd say that the outcome is still uncertain. After we take a little break, kinda cool down a little, I'm betting we'll be able to finish this. Besides, I'm betting you're as sore as I am right now."

He frowned at this. Sore, was he? It would take more than her attacks to make him just sore, as if he were-

"Ugh…"

He almost collapsed to the floor, but stopped himself with one hand and one knee. Her assault had finally taken its toll on him- he suddenly had a new respect for her. He was almost sure that she had the same- he wasn't one to pull his punches on anyone, once they decided to fight.

"See? Not saying that you didn't do the same to me- I've never seen anyone fight with such strength as yours. You sure it's just traditional karate?"

He kept silent. If only she knew why he had lasted so long against the might of her attacks. In all truth, every hit had an effect on him- he just couldn't feel it until now. And at this moment, the strain on both of their bodies was just a bit much. But he didn't feel like lying to her- besides, she could probably tell, just like his mother, when someone wasn't being honest.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day; just not now."

_Because if I told you now, you wouldn't want to see me again._

She shrugged it off, apparently satisfied by his answer. "You'd better. Otherwise, you won't hear the end of me."

* * *

Later, the two of them stood in front of the dojo, smiling at each other.

"That was great; you really are something else."

He shrugged the compliment off, as if he had gotten it all the time, which he didn't. "It's just the fruits of my training. It's all I do these days, what with school being a complete bust."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You mean you dropped out? What for?"

He shrugged. "Can't really remember why in the first place. Things just happened at once, and so fast, that I didn't really have the time for it as much."

She looked at him with the look that said 'yeah right, I'll believe that when pigs fly.' "Oh really? What would possibly detract you from school and friends and all that? I couldn't imagine a world without it, though it can get boring at times."

He smiled at her again, knowing exactly what she meant. "Yeah, it can get boring. Tell you what- I'll tell you my problem one day, and maybe everything else will piece itself together from there."

She shrugged. It sounded better than a no, though it was not exactly a yes. "Deal."

He nodded. "Well, see you. Thanks for the spar."

As he walked away, she called after him. "Wait!"

He stopped and turned his head only.

"Are you going to call? I mean, you've got the number for a reason, right?"

He smiled yet again. He couldn't seem to stop doing that.

"You know it. Talk to you later."

With that, he was at the bus station, and heading back to Shinjuku.

* * *

The red eyes were back in the dojo again, hiding in the fading shadows as if there were some tangible energy within the training hall- something which he didn't take a kind outlook to.

_The boy is beginning to awaken… but that girl could be a problem. I must eliminate her in order for my plans to carry on. Her power is already too great… I must act quickly._

Then the malevolent eyes faded, and there was silence again.

For now.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Spar**

I can't believe that you people wanted more of this.

Well in any case, here you go. Took me a good long while to set up the fight scene. Tell me what you thought of it, okay? Oh, and no flames- I'm trying my best to create something unique. Constructive criticism would be appreciated.

_Ja ne_.


	3. The Crime Scene

_A Devil._

_One with white eyes, black wings, twisted, unsightly horns, clawed hands… and for some odd reason, wearing a sadistic grin that was completely unlike the young man that he held by the neck in his vice-like grip._

_His grin widened as one who was considered to be one of the strongest struggled in vain, trying to break himself free from his dark mirror. But he could not… he was forever trapped by the one thing that held his very life together. The very blood that beat inside of him- he was marked. Scarred. Cursed by it._

_And he couldn't let anyone know._

_"Just stop fighting… give in to me. I will show you a power beyond your imagining. We do not need anyone else- just you and I."_

_The young man struggled, only to find that the grip tightened as he did so. Still… he could not become what he hated- what he swore to destroy for all these years. He could not become another Devil._

_"Go back to hell!"_

_The grin turned into a grimace. "Only after you… Jin."_

_Snap…_

* * *

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

Okay, you guys apparently wanted more of this. I can't say that I blame you… this is turning out to be one pretty decent piece of work. Sorry for the late update on this chapter… just had a few things to take care of first.

**Standard Disclaimer:** Not mine. Don't bother pulling out your sue stick, Mr. Lawyer. I have sharp teeth and a sword.

* * *

Jin woke up in a cold sweat, the pseudo memory of his own neck being snapped like a common twig by his darker half still fresh in his mind. He looked around franticly, trying to find the one who had come in and killed him without hesitation.

Nothing. No one.

_A dream… Damn it all, why can't I get a decent sleep?_

His phone rang harshly- he would've preferred waking to that than the sharp reminder of what was inside of him. His eyes narrowed in anger at the very thought that he should be stuck with a lasting legacy of his father.

_Damn you too, old man. You and Heihachi both._

He found the phone a good excuse to get out of his bad mood. He picked it up and spoke wearily into the receiver. "Hello?"

"_Jin! Something's happened!"_

"Asuka? What gives? I was sleeping…"

She blushed on the other end of the line, seeing as she had caught him at a bad time. But for some odd reason, he was the first one that she called, as well as Miharu and Ling. Perhaps the four of them could think of a way out of this mess.

"_Sorry, but it's important! As soon as you can, head down to the dojo where we sparred at; something bad went down! Ling and Miharu are already on their way, I think…"_

"Sounds serious… I'm heading over now, too. Just stay calm, okay?"

"_Oh, I'm perfectly calm- as calm as one can be when someone crashed your school!"_

Then, she hung up.

He quickly got out of his bed and got dressed- jeans and his black shirt, along with a white suede jacket- nothing special, really. All the while, he had a bad feeling about the entire situation. Asuka sounded half devastated, half angry.

_Never a good combination. Just what happened over there in Osaka?

* * *

_

It was later that afternoon when the bus arrived, and police were everywhere around the dojo. Jin headed toward the scene, wondering what had happened to have such a large force around the area.

"Be careful, he could still be around. Fists are registered as deadly weapons-"

So, there was a fight. From what I see here, it was a bad one. But where's Asuka?

She and a plainclothes cop were talking- no, more like arguing. He walked over, making sure not to get caught while crossing the police line, and approached them, catching the end of their conversation.

"…I don't care if you're looking for him! When I see this guy, I'm going to beat the crap out of him first, and then think about giving him to you once I'm done!"

The cop sighed. "I understand how you feel, but this is a police matter now. Just let me handle it- I'm sure I can stand up to this guy, no matter how tough he thinks he is."

"And you're saying that I'm not tough, is that it?"

Jin decided to cut in at this point. "He'd better not be- I'd hate to see him severely hurt."

They both turned to him, one with a confused expression, and the other with relief.

"Jin! You came! Hey guys, get over here, he's here!"

He looked at the cop with a neutral expression on his face, while the cop stared at him before his face lit up in recognition. He had the tact to speak in a whisper, however.

"Kazama?"

"Detective Wulong. Been a while, hasn't it? And try not to say my last name around here… I've abandoned this place."

"Right… whatever you say. Would you try talking her into giving up chasing this guy? He killed someone a few days ago- we just got the report in yesterday."

As Ling and Miharu scampered over to where they were, Jin sighed. Why did he have to be the one to handle the problems? Sure, he was good enough at it, apparently… but did people have to rely on him so much?

"That's your department; I came to see Asuka here. So go do your business, and leave her alone for now."

Lei shrugged. "Fine, I will. Just keep her busy."

* * *

After Asuka explained the situation, the other two nodding sympathetically- as well as in perfect sync, to Jin's immense humor, he sighed to himself. An unprovoked attack against another dojo was strictly forbidden, much less any sort of challenge or competition at all.

On top of that, this man had killed his own master when he tried to discipline him for breaking said rule. Or, so he had heard from Lei. So then, he had more than one person after him now. The question was, why ask him for help?

"To get ready for the tournament, what else? You're entering, right?"

He nodded, though his reasons were not entirely for revenge… but then again, it was something that she did not have to know.

"Well then, from the moment these goons leave, I want you to spar with me from today until the tournament starts. I have to get this guy back for putting dad in the hospital!"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "The Art isn't to be used for revenge. I won't practice with you if you go through with this. Besides, I have my own reasons for entering the tournament-"

"That's not the point- it's not about revenge! This is about honor… justice! He didn't just put father in the hospital; he broke the rules, roughed up the students and trashed the dojo, like you see here! You tell me whether I have a good enough reason or not!"

Jin cringed at her yelling. Well, she certainly was passionate about it, and she did have a point. He recklessly challenged another dojo to a match, breaking the rules. Not only that, but he went one step lower and injured many, putting the master in the hospital. And not only that, but he had used the Art to kill…

"Fine, I'll do it. I don't like this guy much, either."

She smiled triumphantly. "I figured you would, once you thought about it hard enough. For a moment there, I was afraid I would have to beat it into your head…"

"…and that would not work, as you've seen before. Okay, I'll stay until later on tonight. Then, I'll probably be too tired to even stand… but I'll just take the bus home anyway. I'm used to being drained."

She laughed at this. "C'mon, let's head to the back and change into something more… fitting for the occasion."

* * *

A few rounds of sparring later, after the police had cleared out and they had restored some semblance of order to the training hall, Jin was indeed drained. He was somehow back in his clothes from the day, though he was just about too tired to move much of anything.

"Um… you sure you should just walk around like that? Our little session was pretty intense- just like last time. You sure don't pull any punches, do you?"

He shook his head. "I don't have the time to waste on going easy on people who want to fight. For me, it's either all or nothing. But I can still walk, so I can help myself out of here. But thank you for the match- I don't think I need to spar with you all that much."

She pouted cutely. "But I want you to spar with me. It's much more fun doing it with someone who won't hold back for anything. Makes me feel a lot better… relieves stress, you know? Besides, it's better than being alone, right?"

_Better than being alone… Maybe you would say differently if you knew what I was._

"Maybe so…. Thank you."

She smiled warmly at him. "Y'know, you can stay over if you want. There are rooms for that in the back as well, just in case something like this happens. And don't say that you'd be imposing or intruding; this is an invitation. Whether you accept or refuse doesn't matter much to me. You just look a little tired to be moving around, that's all."

He had a specific reason why he would not impose on anyone's hospitality… there was the chance that during the time he was asleep, he would outright destroy the place in which he was sleeping. But somehow… somehow, he felt a bit safer here. And so, he took a risk.

It would be the first of many he would take.

"I accept. Thank you."

* * *

_"Sooner or later, you will be mine…"_

_The Devil again._

_The same dream, save for the fact that he was in the now destroyed and still burning ruins of Hon-Maru, where he had struck down both his father and grandfather in an epic battle. The flames weakened him severely, while the demon within him seemed to be unharmed. He looked relaxed, as if he were right at home, and sat on the stairs that led up to the shrine._

_"It's painful, isn't it? The heat, I mean. Why not just give in? I'm sure that it will be over, just as soon as you do."_

_Jin choked on the smoke, the heat searing him. But his resolve stayed firm as he fought the evil within his mind. "I won't back down to the likes of you. I'll burn before I do!"_

_"Ah, but the woman… she will die if you are dead, yes?"_

_He looked up sharply. "You wouldn't dare…"_

_The Devil cackled madly. "All I want is the power… his power. The one known as Jinpachi has everything… and I want everything. Perhaps then… I can live in peace, and so can you. But if you die now… she will die as well. He will come after her with everything in his power, for she has the One True Power."_

_"What are you saying?"_

_The Devil laughed again. "You mean you haven't felt it? The power of her soul is immense! Glorious! Surely you have not seen it before?"_

_He gasped, completely in shock. She did have the same sheer, unbridled power as his mother, and she managed to command it with such skill that it was almost surreal. If she focused all of her will into an attack, and hit someone like… say Kazuya in his Devil phase…_

_"Yes. He would die."_

_But Jin had one doubt that lingered in his mind. One sole thought._

_"Why in the hell are you trying to help me? You've been my bane for years…"_

_The Devil had a solemn, determined look on his face. "Because he plans to destroy everything. I cannot have that happen- I must take everything before he does so. I must be whole before he can act."_

* * *

Asuka awakened in the middle of the night, sensing that something was amiss. She didn't know how or why she had, but she could sense it- and it was coming from Jin's room. She was a little irritated that her so called "alarm system" had gone off while she was asleep, but her spiritual sensitivity was far too high.

So she got up and walked over to his room, peeking inside. The air was thick with a destructive force that threatened to break out of the room if provoked to anger. She was a little startled that this was coming from Jin, but only just a little. Somehow, she knew that it was, from the way that he fought her- but she wasn't about to back down now.

Slowly, so as not to make any noise, she opened the door. Sure, he was asleep… but things about him had changed. His hair was somewhat longer, and he had certain markings on his face that looked… surreal. Not of this earth.

He looked like a demon.

She didn't care. She suspected it from the moment they had first sparred together. No one had been able to amass that kind of power unless they had been training for a lifetime, but here was Jin, able to consistently knock her to the ground without a fuss, and mostly with one hit.

Surprisingly, to her at least, she had been able to do the same, making them even.

But she had not expected anything like this, although she was not afraid in the least. Underneath, she knew somehow that Jin was still there. He could just… change when he was in an overly tense situation, that's all. Yes, that had to be it.

She suddenly realized that although he didn't pull any punches, Jin could never use his full power around her, because it was a controlled fight. She was grateful for that- she didn't want to die, just spar.

But still… he looked fearsome nonetheless. No wonder he was so tentative about telling his past, or even staying the night- he was afraid that he would either scare people away, or destroy anything that he touched while he was asleep. And he was changing already, before her eyes. She watched in amazement as even the horns slowly emerged from his head, and the wings slowly spread from his back, even while he was asleep.

_This is all too freaky… but at the same time, it's so cool. I like this side of him, too._

She reached a hand out and touched the soft silken feathers of one wing… and then, his eyes snapped open, making her pull back in shock.

"Having fun, Asuka?"

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Crime Scene**

Whoops… well, this should be interesting. –cackles evilly- What am I going to come up with for next chapter? Should the tale end now with Asuka's death and the awakening of hell on earth? Should I have him fly off into the night, never to return? Or is this going to be an Interview with the Devil?

You decide.

Reviews are welcomed, flames will be ignored.

_Ja ne_.


	4. The Interview with the Devil

_The Devil was, for once, talking instead of blowing shit up._

_It was the first time that he had not destroyed anything since his awakening. Jin would've been shocked and amazed that a demon could act so docile. But then again, he was in the presence of Asuka, which seemed to have a calming effect on him._

_Odd, seeing as she had the potential to kill him._

_But in any case, here he was, leaning against one of the walls in his room, looking at the young prodigy of the Kazama-Ryu with a penetrating gaze. She looked back, unafraid, but still curious as to why the brief talk had turned into a staring match._

_When either of them spoke, it was sure to be a… interesting conversation._

* * *

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction… 

_**Caught Up!**_

Booya… The floodgates opened for this chapter. I got a bunch of positive reviews for the last one, so here's the next installment. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I said it once; I'll say it again… Tekken and all its characters are not mine. That is, until I get more cash… someone help me out?

No? Damn… Well, don't sue me, okay?

* * *

The first one to speak was Asuka, seeing as she noticed something particularly interesting about this demon. He wasn't your usual kind- they were supposed to have leathery, dragon-like wings, as well as a different appearance altogether. Well, not that much different- Jin, or whatever this thing called itself, certainly fit the pattern. Except for one thing… 

"Feathers? Very interesting, for a demon."

He snorted at this, scoffing it off. "Personally, I don't like them… a bit too soft for my tastes. But I suppose they have their use… what about them?"

She smirked- so he was trying to be a bad ass, was he? Well, she saw right through it… or at least, she thought she did. "It's, nothing. They're just… nice. They're very soft and very beautiful looking. I kinda like 'em."

Devil Jin grunted at this, but couldn't help a small smile. Odd that he did not want to kill this one… she had an effect on him; that was for sure. Whether it was the One True Power or his own personal preference was to be determined. But he found that he was at ease while he was here. It was something that he didn't entirely understand, but that didn't mean that he didn't like it.

"So, uh… where exactly do you come from?"

He frowned at this. It was a long and tiring story, though he remembered every part of it. Still, she wanted to know… though her entire opinion of her "friend" would change afterwards.

"I am the other half of the one you know as Jin. He has not said his last name to you, has he? It is a shame, really… you would be surprised indeed, to know that you have something more in common with him than a mere fighting spirit."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

He smirked- a smile that was borderline evil.

"The thing that was calling out to you… at the club that evening… was the other half of his blood. The one thing that drew him to you was the same thing that cursed him. Ironic, isn't it? And the two of you had no clue- you thought it was a mere attraction."

She clinched her fists at this. It couldn't be true… could it? The two of them were related and not just two people? She shook her head. That couldn't be the sole reason she was attracted to him, she thought he was cute, that was all. Besides…

"That can't be possible. The last I heard from anything about my extended family was that something bad had happened to Jun… I didn't hear about a baby or anything. How do you know all this?"

The smile never left him. "Then allow me to tell you what your father did not bother to say…"

* * *

It was early the next morning- the sun had not even raised. She couldn't believe what was said- it all sounded like some big, evil nightmare that no one could've survived from. The fact of the matter was simple- Jin's father had made a pact with the Devil himself… and because of that promise, Jin was the price. 

The very reason that Kazuya had been dropped from the cliff all those years ago remains unclear- perhaps a cruel test of strength- perhaps some other torture that had been raised by anger. In any event, the pact had gotten to the point where Kazuya had gotten what he wanted, and now wanted out of the deal.

Thing was, he couldn't get out... and thus, the second tournament. He was busy fighting his Devil side, the half of him that had not been taken wanted out of the whole deal, and wanted to be his own man, for once.

It was at this time that Jun had picked up the disturbing reports… and then, that entire mess had started.

Somehow, she managed to suppress the Devil Gene within him, and he was quite grateful for it. Not to mention the fact that he was known as a ladies' man, and had his eyes on Jun from the moment they met. However, he had to snub her efforts until he had beaten his father, whether sooner or later.

But that didn't stop him from taking what he wanted before then.

He lost however, and met his supposed end in a volcano…. Jun, however, had won. She learned of Kazuya's past in between rounds, and found the injustice more than she could bear. So she chewed her way through the competitors, one by one… then, delivered a brutal smack-down to Heihachi at the last stage of the tournament- the Mishima Zaibatsu itself.

With his arms, legs, and most everything else disabled by her powerful style of aikido, she had basically become the new champion; money, power, the entire thing. And being the humble woman that she was, she shunned it. She would much rather spend her days in peace, rather than be stressed out the whole time.

Besides, she didn't want the baby to grow up in that kind of environment. So then, she headed back to Osaka, headed towards her secluded home in the forests, and waited. Of course, she could still feel the Devil within Kazuya, even now. She was sure that he was still alive, though the fact that the demon was still in existence disturbed her.

In fact, said same Devil approached her about the still-unborn child within her, demanding that when he was of age, Jin would belong to him. Strangely enough, she agreed. It was a simple enough agreement, so long as he left them alone for now.

One would almost imagine the cunning smirk on her face as the apparition vanished…

Third tournament. Jin was of age… and one day, the same apparition had marked him with the brand on his shoulder- one that she had not seen yet. He came to his mother about it, but she told him not to worry. He would be protected in a way that not even he knew about yet.

And she wouldn't be able to tell him. Two weeks afterwards… she was dead, her house in flames. Jin heard of it later, and was very… very pissed off. He swore vengeance on the one who had killed her. Thing was, he knew just how to get it.

Of course, he had heard about his father from his mother, and heard that he was, beneath the plot for revenge and all the insanely cruel circumstances- a good man. He didn't exactly like Heihachi for what he had done, but he had to start somewhere, and learning an offensive style instead of his defensive one was a good place to start.

Heihachi had given him more than just sound training in Mishima-Ryu karate… he had given him all the tools he needed to run his empire when he passed away. But the one thing that was foremost on his mind was revenge.

Thus, when the third tournament was announced, he got his chance. Seeing as the current champion had been unfortunately eliminated, the title of the King of Iron Fist was unclaimed. The top spot was just a side bonus- he would take a life for the life that was taken.

And that he did. Unfortunately… the trap was pretty much set for him. The shot was fired by Heihachi himself, and before he walked over to the now dying Ogre, he rebuked the dying Jin.

"Heh… fool. Did you really think I would've taken the son of someone as worthless as Kazuya as my family? Pathetic."

Then, he walked away… only to hear something behind him.

It was a rush of air, from a body that was slamming through a wall. No wait…. three bodies. He turned around slowly, and stared with shock into the now red eyes of Jin Kazama.

He was in deep shit.

"Wait until a man's dead… before boasting about his death!"

Boom.

As Heihachi fell to the floor, screaming his head off, Jin's black, feathery wings burst forth, before tucking inwards in a dive towards the now seemingly dead man. His palm stretched out, and cratered him straight into the hard earth. Surprisingly, the old man's intense training kept him alive- and Jin knew it.

He still whispered in his ear before flying off, as if he would be back later…

"I'll see that you die for this. All of you."

Fourth tournament. Jin had ended up in Australia, busy unlearning his grandfather's style, and his mother's style at that. He hated everything about himself, including the man who he knew of as his father. His mother was dead, his father was cursed, and his grandfather betrayed him.

_Yup… he had good reason to be angry,_ she thought.

So then, once the King of Iron Fist was announced yet again, he would have to pay a visit. Everyone else would just be in the way… he simply wanted to outright kill both Kazuya and Heihachi, and then himself, sooner or later.

However, it was not to be. He reached the final round, beating an even tougher Ling Xiaoyu, who was determined to help Jin in any way possible. He wouldn't have it, and shut her down after a very intense battle.

"You don't need to be concerned with my business… You have your own life. Go and live it."

_But she wanted to help… you didn't have to be so cold,_ she commented to herself yet again.

As soon as he reached the Hon-Maru temple, everything started… the voices, the screaming, everything. But the Devil heard something else- something more than Jin's mental torture.

"Who the hell are you? You're not Kazuya!"

"Nice work, detective… I am the one you refer to as the Devil. Thanks to your… modest efforts, I get to use this human as a vessel. How should I repay you…?"

Heihachi rushed in an attack, angry that the very thing that he tried to capture had manipulated him and turned the trap into an opportunity. Unfortunately, he had become the victim of a vicious energy bolt from the Devil's hand.

"How weak… you think that your precious science can understand my power?"

He turned toward Jin and grinned wolfishly. "Now then… let's destroy this world together… boy."

But when he stretched his hand forth to transform him- even with the sacred chains, his power was enough to perform such a feat- nothing happened. He quirked an eyebrow and tried again. Nothing again.

"That's odd… why won't you change?"

Then, he slowly pieced everything together… and came to the conclusion that he should have come to a long time ago, even before all this had started. He growled furiously, cursing Jun Kazama in every language possible.

"Damn you! That's why you gave him to me so willingly; your blood protects him!"

With that, he felt something within him fighting back…

"K-Kazuya? What are you doing?"

He felt his command slipping away from him. "How dare you!"

Then, he was back to himself again… and smiled cunningly. "I see now… that's what this is all about. Well, thank you again, Jun… you have offered me a way out again. If I take what's inside him, his curse will end, and I'll be free. Simple."

He suddenly called out to him, just at the point where Heihachi had come to.

"Rise… Jin Kazama!"

The chains slipped off… he fell to the floor… and the first thing he saw was the man who tortured him within his own mind. He snarled at him viciously.

"Ah, so you don't like me very much, do you? Good. This will make things easier."

Jin took this as a signal to rush him.

Kazuya smiled. "Sorry about this… but I have to take everything!"

The rest… is set in stone.

* * *

"So… I have a cousin. Who happens to be cursed with… you, right?" 

He frowned distastefully. "I would rather call it burdened with, instead of cursed. I'm actually not a bad guy… a bit misunderstood, sure… but not bad. Do you think less of Jin now?"

She shook her head. "I'm just glad that something of her family is still alive. That, and it's always nice to find that I have another person to confide in. Know what I mean?"

The Devil grunted at this. "I'm not sure he feels the same way… he will think this as all a dream of sorts. And even if he knew all this, he would push you away. Do me a favor… do not tell him any of this, lest you want your heart broken."

She nodded. "I won't. Besides… he doesn't need to know. I could play along for a while, pretend that I like him that way. Besides… I think I do anyway. And I like you as well, y'know."

He snorted. "I'm not one for affection…"

He suddenly felt something stir within him. "Ack… our little chat has come to an end. Remember, don't tell him any of this unless absolutely necessary. Got that?"

She nodded, and smiled at him. As the handsome devil lay back down, she stood and exited the room. But his voice stopped her just as she was at the door.

"Asuka…"

She turned for a moment, regarding him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Thank you."

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Interview with the Devil**

Awesome chapter, ne? This could be where the story branches off towards the other two girls. Or should I keep it where it is, given the circumstances? You the reader, decide their fate. As per usual, thank you for the reviews. Normally, I just take the advice, combine it with what's off the top of my head, and write.

Forgive me if the story's a bit… y'know, repetitive.. I had to put it in there. And forgive me for this whole story in general. It's just something I wanted to try, and wherever my head takes me, I tend to go.

As per usual, flames will be used to burn those who fling them.

_Ja ne_.


	5. The Way She Moves

_Jin woke up in a slight haze._

_He swore that he had an odd, but strangely pleasant dream that seemed to pleasant and too surreal to be true. Not only had he not destroyed anything for once, but his darker half had actually had a decent bit of conversation for once and with Asuka at that._

_Not only that, but his past- all of it, not just his own hand in it- had been told, and he found out something interesting; the two of them were related. But he laughed at this. It couldn't be- he didn't feel any real connection to her, much less anyone. In any case, he got up, stretched out a bit, and looked for somewhere to clean up._

_But before that… he looked behind him, just to make sure…_

_There was nothing there. No tears in his shirt, no traces of feathers on the floor… good. He sighed with relief. So, it was only a dream after all. He found himself wishing that there were more like it.

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

Well, you guys asked for it, so it's time for more Jin/Asuka goodness. Or something like that. Thanks for the support, everyone that's read so far. I do appreciate it. Well then, it's time for the story to commence again.

**Disclaimer:** Oi… don't go and pull out your "sue me" sticks, you guys. I don't own it.

* * *

Asuka was sitting on the floor of the training hall, meditating.

She found that the Devil's image was still in her mind, even now. She couldn't stop thinking about Jin, either, and it was starting to get on her nerves. She liked the guy, but she didn't want to think about him all the time- her father had just been put in the hospital. She needed to have her mind elsewhere.

She quickly focused on something else, other than that. Turning towards the day that she saw her father in the hospital was a good idea. Well, not entirely, but it kept her focused. She found however, that she was just glad that he was all right, once she really thought about it.

But then, there were the students… the man he killed- his own master… and that cop, who was trying to keep her out of the path, saying that it was only "police business." Her resolve doubled, as her eyes snapped open in a gaze of fierce determination. She would show them all not to underestimate her, or mess with those she cared for!

_Yeah, I'll show them all!_

She walked towards Jin's room to wake him up and convince/beat him into sparring with her, only to find that he was already awake. She heard the sound of running water from the men's bathroom- probably the shower- and decided that it would be better if she… didn't just rush in. As she walked back to the main hall, she found that Xiaoyu and Miharu were yelling for them.

"Yeah, hang on! I'm on my way!"

"Hurry up- it's a Sunday! We're heading out- didn't we call you about that?"

Asuka cringed. Well, duh. She had been training so much that she had forgotten all about that. As she jogged the rest of the way in her pajamas of all things, and with her hair a mess, they took a good look at her and laughed. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted at them.

"It's not that funny- I haven't had time to really get ready."

"B-but," Xiao managed to say while she was laughing, "You just look so ridiculous, I can't help it! Just go get changed- My sides are starting to hurt!"

As she walked back to get ready, she called out, "And go get Jin while you're at it! Heaven knows he needs the sunshine as well!"

* * *

Though the school grounds were pretty much closed on a Sunday, everyone admitted that it was a decent place to have a lunch. Which is why most all of the students had gotten into the school so many times, even with the gates locked, that the school made it a habit to keep the gates open, closing them when it was time to do so.

And today, Mishima High was packed.

Someone had gotten into a real mess with one of the seniors during the week, and now there was a fight going on. Everyone had gotten together to watch- even bringing their lunches and starting a not-too-small betting pool. As the four of them walked by, Asuka recognized it immediately.

"Dammit… can't these boys settle their shit some other way?"

She was already heading toward the fight, giving a good solid kick in the head to the one who she knew was running the betting pool. It was the same one every time, and she had to give him a good kick so many times that it had become second nature. "Find us a good spot- this shouldn't take long!"

Jin, Xiao and Miharu all looked at each other for a moment, and walked after her, not wanting to miss the fight. Not that Jin was interested one way or another, but he did want to see how she was progressing- they weren't just sparring for nothing, after all. Besides, he was getting a good workout as well- she was already good, but she wanted to be better.

He liked that.

In any case, Jin felt more than a few gazes on his back as he approached, and whispers saying that he was back. He mentally asked himself just how popular he was with everyone here… But he paid it no mind, as he used to back when he was actually in this school.

When they arrived, Asuka was already in the aggressor's face.

"What the hell is it this time, Tsai? I don't like the fact that I have to keep on kicking your ass most of the time, as well as your little buddies. Can't you go one day without fighting anyone?"

He looked at her with that same condescending look. "Don't give me that, Kazama. I only fight with people who interfere in my affairs. This _upstart_," he yelled, pointing an accusing finger to the boy in question, "Was caught looking at my girl- he even had the nuts to charm her and shit. I don't take kindly to that."

With her hands on her hips, she yelled back. "First of all, _no one_ is your property around here, and second, you have no right to beat up on kids that are _weaker_ than you, _younger_ than you, and have no idea how to fight!"

He smirked at her. "So you're saying I should pick on someone my own size, huh? Well then, I have all day… I might as well pick on you, Kazama."

She felt the thrust punch coming, even before it came, and suddenly lifted her right knee sharply, slamming him straight in his chest, right where his heart was. He stumbled back, stunned for one full second, then had to catch his breath, get his blood pumping again, and get feeling into everything, all at once.

"D-dammit, Kazama… I'll make you regret that!"

She walked a few steps away, smiling to herself as she did so. "Is that so?" As she turned, she got into stance, her hands open and loose, prepared to ward off his attacks. "Then come over here and make me regret it, if you can!"

As soon as she said it, he rushed forward, coming at her with a left cross that he was sure would knock that silly grin off of her face. Not surprisingly, she slid underneath it and gave him a hefty right uppercut, sending him flying, before following up with a jumping left kick, her shin slamming him in the back and twisting him. She followed up with a turning right punch that caught him in the air, then a left kick that rose just to her head, catching him with it in mid air.

Before he landed again, she ducked slightly before wailing into him with a hard right hook, and finally sending him back to earth, sending that same right arm right on top of him, her fist slamming him into the ground.

He wasn't going to get back up for a while.

After a while in stance, she looked closely at him, nudged him with her foot a few times, and scoffed. "What… that's it? You talked all that shit and couldn't even last… someone tell me how long that took… what? _Less than twenty seconds_? Hah! I know _little kids_ who can fight better than that."

The crowd laughed and cheered, wanting another fight…. one that wouldn't take such a damned short time. And we had a now bored Asuka. "Someone drag him outta here and give me a _real_ fight!"

* * *

Jin was impressed.

She had beaten the ruffian handily, and in record time. As Ling and Miharu cheered along with the crowd, he began to honestly consider his chances against her in the tournament, and found himself wondering if he would really be able to get what he wanted out of this.

On top of that, his admiration for her grew with her strength, as he noted to himself that the two of them were sparring together for the past week, before this came around. Now, he was glad that he did- he had a glimpse at his competition, and saw that it was fierce.

_If there are opponents as tough as she is, I can't hold anything back- even if I have to become a Devil._

The possibility didn't put as much fear in him as it used to. In fact, he felt somewhat comfortable with it now. Maybe it was because he didn't care anymore- perhaps he was drowning in apathy. Then he mentally shook himself. He had to pull it together, or else he wouldn't be able to get rid of this curse. The only way he saw to do that was to take everything- not just half of his Devil Gene, but all of it.

He had a feeling that he would find such a thing at the tournament. What, with both his father and another entity that he could sense- albeit faintly- he was sure of it. But now that he had seen Asuka tear through this kid like he was a sheet of paper…

"I challenge you!"

Everyone heard the declaration, and turned toward a widely grinning Miharu Hiyama, pointing toward the center of the throng of onlookers where Asuka stood. She looked at her quizzically for a moment, and then nodded. She knew what Miharu was capable of, and was always in the mood for new opponents.

"All right! I've been looking for a decent fight these days. Come at me!"

Miharu headed towards her, a cheeky grin on her face. This would be the perfect chance to test out her training from Xiaoyu, as well as have some fun. Besides, it would only be a spar, right? She wouldn't rub her out like she did that other guy… would she?

Fortunately for her, she was fair. "Okay, first one to get floored three times loses-"

Miharu had a mischievous smile this time, instead of her happy grin. "Not fun enough… how about a bet? Say… a thousand for each knock down?"

Asuka quirked an eyebrow. Even Ling and Jin were surprised that Miharu was actually confident enough to take a bet. But as Asuka contemplated the situation, she nodded. It sounded like a pretty good deal. They both got something out of it, and it would be a waste if she just left it at a simple match. "Sounds good; we'll just take it out of the betting ring's pocket. They don't need the money- all they do is hoard it anyway."

A loud, irritated "Hey!" came from somewhere in the background and both of the girls responded with a loud, equally irritated "Shut up! Serves you right!" They turned to each other, bowed, then walked away to take their positions. As they both got into stance, they stared at each other, their wills clashing the air charging with their force.

It must not have taken long, because Asuka struck first, charging toward Miharu and stepping to her left, thrusting out with her left palm. She hoped to get a decent knockdown at first, but she had another thing coming. Miharu turned to her right, the blow slamming her ribs and making her spin one extra time, but she was still alive, and still up.

However, Asuka knew that it was just a stumble, and took the opportunity to cut her right leg viciously in a wide reverse sweep, knocking Miharu's legs out from under her. (Her new Sacred Blade kick. I love that move.)

Down she went.

Asuka rose up and pointed a finger into the air in victory. "That's one! Two to go!"

Miharu quickly rose up and got into stance again. Okay, so she wasn't all that easy to dodge. Well, that would be even more interesting. But there was no time to think, because she was coming towards her with a rushing right uppercut, the fist heading straight for her chin.

She quickly lowered herself into the Phoenix stance, the punch barely missing her. After that, she suddenly sprung into the air, snapping her left leg up and nailing her opponent straight on the chin. With the following right kick sending her twisting through the air and landing hard, she smirked as she landed.

Pointing her own finger into the air in a mock gesture, she grinned cheekily. "That's one! Now we're even! So… you gonna stop playing and fight?"

Asuka was slightly angry at her being duped so easily. That, plus the cocky manner that Miharu had taken on got her blood boiling. It was time to shut her up. "Oh yeah, It's time to fight. And you won't like the results! Come at me!"

Miharu did so, seeing as she had an advantage. Well, it was mostly from the adrenaline that was now coursing through her, now that she had a knockdown, and the crowd started cheering. She ran forward, stepping in with her left foot and kicking forward with her right, the ball of her foot slamming toward Asuka's chest faster than she had expected.

She managed to block in time, but the aggressor had another surprise. She kicked off of her forearms, leaping backwards into the air before landing smoothly in Phoenix stance, and waiting for her next attack. Asuka wasted no time in whipping out the right reverse leg sweep, intent on dragging her front leg to the floor.

'_Fraid not!_

She hopped into the air, whipping her left leg around in a pirouette kick, neatly making it look like the two of them were about to dance. In fact, they were. While Miharu was landing, Asuka took the liberty of hopping up, turning her body and her right leg around in a roundhouse kick, letting the inertia turn her in a complete circle.

She just missed, and Miharu swept her left leg underneath her, not wanting to lose momentum. As she stood up, she found that she had her back turned- her kick had taken her a bit too far, and Asuka saw it. She continued her motion, sweeping low with a front right leg sweep. Miharu pretty much knew what was going to happen, and even if she didn't, she would've done this anyway.

She ducked, and moved both of her arms in the supposed path of the attack in order to catch and divert- otherwise known as a parry. Voila- she caught the kick and turned it to her left side to counter the motion, followed by three palm strikes- left, right, then left again, the third attack slamming into her with much more force than expected as she focused her will into the strike.

Down went Asuka.

Miharu simply said "Two!" and quickly began walking to the side; step by step, focusing her energies all the while… meanwhile, Asuka was having a harder time getting up. The petit friend of Ling Xiaoyu was stronger and better trained than she had thought at first- a mere beat down wouldn't do the trick.

_Grace instead of power, Asuka… grace instead of power._

She loosened her stance, her arms flowing smoothly in a kata as she walked to the opposite side of Miharu, keeping her in focus at all times. Miharu, slightly puzzled at first, but quite willing to play along, moved in her own pattern as the two of them looked for an opening.

But the girl with light brown hair was getting frustrated- Asuka was not showing anything but a constant repeat in her pattern- no changes, no breaks… it was too easy. She decided to take it all to chance, and rushed, launching herself into the air, twisting so that she would land right on her shoulders.

Bad news- she missed. Good news, she landed on her feet…

Asuka had spun to her left, lashing out with a heel drop with said left leg. Miharu managed to block the attack, then strike out with a right palm strike, followed by a left uppercut that turned her back to Asuka, before making an attempt to slam both palms into her midsection.

She would soon feel pain… Asuka swept her right hand low after blocking the first two strikes, aiming to grab her opponent's right leg. Once she had done so, she broke her stance by leaning forward, rolling over her and making her fall. On top of that, seeing as she had to finish the movement, she twisted her ankle, feeling a little sorry for Miharu.

Needless to say, it hurt. A lot. Miharu squealed in agony as her ankle was damn near broken, and she immediately tapped out, smacking the concrete with her fist a few times. Luckily, someone managed to cry out "She tapped, she tapped!" and Asuka let go.

"Two. Sorry about that."

Miharu got up, incensed. She got duped, and was forced to submit all because of a little pain! What would Xiao think of her now? She had to redeem herself. She had to beat her! With a passion and determination in her eyes, she rushed Asuka, attacking with everything she had and wailing on her with a ten hit string.

She hopped into the air, her right leg arcing in a complete circle. Asuka defended, but her arms would be in serious pain the next morning, she was sure of that. Inside block, outside, high, low… then came the first right sweep.

By this time, Asuka was getting tired of defending herself, and simply performed two back handsprings, just to get out of her path. Thus, the two sweep kicks, followed by the high split kick missed entirely, and when the last blow came, Asuka was ready for it. She quickly got into a different stance, one of her arms above her head while the other was right at her waist, and let the attack come.

Once it did, her arms moved in a full circle, her lower arm taking the attack and pulling it towards her, dragging her upwards at the same time. As she was pulled through the air, she changed hands, the other hand coming up and behind her, hooking one of her legs. Making its own quick circle to toss the leg she had captured to the side, she effectively sent Miharu spinning neatly in the air and to the side, before hitting the ground on her back.

She smiled sweetly at her, the cheers of the crowd ringing in her ears as she stood there, her hands on her hips and her head cocked slightly to the side.

"Three. Gotcha!"

* * *

As the two of them walked towards the leader of the small-time gambling ring that had been set up- it was the same one every time- people were collecting their bets- a whole bunch of people, at that, for most of them had bet on Asuka. A few had only bet on the odds of such an outcome happening (Asuka- 3; Miharu, 2) and got their pay as well.

But as the two of them approached, they cheered them both on anyway, regardless of who won. Miharu had put up a hell of a fight- even Asuka said so. But Xiaoyu's friend wasn't so happy about the outcome. "Ling taught me everything I know. I used every trick I could, and still lost. What will she think?"

Asuka looked over at her, a bit surprised that Miharu cared that much for her friend's opinion. She smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Let me tell you what she would think. She would be glad that you were all right, impressed that you stepped forward and proud to have shown such skill. I know I am."

Miharu managed to smile, but still had her doubts. She wanted to win- to make her friend even prouder of her than the normal situation called for. But she had lost… and it would only be a "train harder" this time, probably. At least, this is what she had in her mind.

After they had gotten paid- through force and persuasion of course; these guys never cracked easily- they walked back towards the throng of people, only to find that Jin and Ling were no longer there. Asuka shrugged and said that they would go looking for them, just to take a look around and see what else was happening. Slowly, Miharu started to feel better as she chatted with the woman in pale blue about… well, everything and nothing.

Asuka simply listened, laughed at what was genuinely funny, frowned slightly about what was not, and spoke openly on things she knew about. All in all, it was not a bad walk. When they finally approached the other two, they were seen laughing- a very nice picture indeed. Of course, Xiaoyu couldn't help but damn near jump into the air, glomping onto her light brown haired friend as If she were a favorite plushie.

"That was so **awesome**! You guys did great!"

Miharu smiled sweetly, hugging her back. She didn't mind being glomped all that much- at least not from Ling. In fact, she rather liked it. "Thanks a bunch; I do try my best!" Xiao was simply glad that she was all right, and the girl's eyes widened slightly.

_She would be glad that you were all right…_

"You were so cool, calling her out like that. I know that no one else would've been able to do such a thing- all the people in this school are such posers anyway, especially that Tsai and his group."

…_impressed that you stepped forward…_

"And you fought so well out there! I guess my teaching you all this was a great idea after all; for a while there, I thought I wasn't doing anything at all but hanging out with you…"

…_And proud of you to have shown such skill._

Miharu looked at Asuka, wondering how the hell she knew all that would happen. She simply winked back, as if to say 'I just know', and turned to talk to Jin.

She began to wonder, from that point forward, if the rumor about her being able to see things that no one else could were true…

* * *

"So… that's how you break up fights. I'm impressed, really."

Asuka nodded. "It's what I do around here. If something gets too out of control, I have to take care of it. Heck, no one else will. Fights that are pointless or out of anger aren't meant to be fought. That's what I think, anyway."

Jin nodded- it was a good way to think about things. The tournament circuit was the only real way to compete, though the reasons were certainly personal, and people put much more into the battle than just controlled techniques. They put everything into a battle, and fought as if it were their lives at stake instead of money or power.

"I expect you to do at least a decent job in the tournament. But know this… if the two of us happen to fight each other…"

She nodded. Regardless of how they felt to one another, their minds were set.

"Got it. I don't want you to hold back- I won't either. Besides, I'm always up for a good fight."

She would avenge her father and bring that man to justice, even if she had to fight against her own cousin… who she happened to have a crush on as well…. both halves of him.

_When did things get so complicated_, she asked herself?

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Way She Moves**

Whoa… do I smell something with a Ling/Miharu thing going on? This looks like the good basis for a side chapter.

Well anyway, thanks for the support. It helps to know that you guys are actually reading this thing, and like it. Much love to a certain reviewer, who just gave me a damned good idea! You guys are going to love it when the tournament finally comes around. Should be in a few chapters... watch this space.

_Ja ne_.


	6. The Awakening

_It was an entire week of training and sparring after the battles at Mishima High._

_Jin and Asuka had stepped up their sparring sessions and he found himself having to use the enhanced strength that the Devil Gene gave to him. Of course, this didn't mean that Asuka couldn't hang with him- on the contrary. Her strikes were just as effective, and were becoming even stronger than before, now that Jin was tapping into his power._

_He was certainly more resilient to her assaults when he used them, but that didn't mean that they didn't hurt- they just hurt a little less. And that little difference was a saving grace, compared to how much worse it could be if Asuka knew of the power within her._

_However, the time was coming when the training and sparring would be tested… the King of Iron Fist was steadily coming as the week progressed. Tomorrow was the day of the opening ceremony, and she would be prepared for anything._

'_Jin made sure of that,' she thought with a slight tinge of color on her cheeks and a warm smile. Maybe, when this was all over…

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Go away.

* * *

Asuka decided that today would be an off day.

Hell, she deserved it, with her grades still steady and her training at its peak, she believed that she needed a day to herself. However, she was entirely too bored while she was by herself. Yes, by herself… her father was still in the hospital. Just thinking about that got her blood boiling, but she couldn't do anything about it yet.

Not only that, but the fact that there was not much to do today- no calls from Ling, no sparring from Jin- seeing as he had said himself that there was nothing more she needed to improve… not to mention that all the work she had been assigned from school had been finished, as well as her studies.

Yes, she was bored. As she walked circles around her house, almost tracing a rut into the plush, soft carpet that sifted between her toes, she felt the need to do… something, anything. Punch something (or someone), go to the gym, go and bug Xiao for a while, head to Jin's house…

Suddenly, something hit her.

_I made a friend, found out that I have a cousin that I didn't know about, have a crush on a guy… and I don't even know where he lives!_

She suddenly had something to do. She walked to her room and picked up the phone, dialing Jin's number from the stored memory. At least it was better than being bored; besides, one learned something new every day, and she had a feeling that this wasn't just an ordinary house.

_Should be fun! Now, if only he would answer the phone…

* * *

_

Jin was in the basement, training himself again.

He had to improve constantly- hone his skills to perfection. It would be the only way that he could defeat what was coming. The only way to fulfill his destiny, and destroy the Mishima clan forever. Sure, he wanted to live now… for the first time in months; he had something to live for, certainly. But now more than ever, he had to kill his father and grandfather, and end this nonsense, once and for all.

Once he took care of Kazuya, he would have the other half… and then, nothing would stop him from taking everything else. It was the best solution to the problem, after all. At least, he thought so.

_After this… no one will ever come after Asuka. She can certainly defend herself, but many may want the power within her, once they find out. I can't let that happen. I have to take everything._

As he hit the sway bag with another hook from the right, it rocked to its full tilt, hung there for a moment, then came swinging back down. As it reached the center, he struck again, from the left. He began to go back in his mind… back to the last time he tried to kill them. He had let them live, as the image of his mother came before him, telling him to stop.

WHAM

Further back… he had been shot dead center in the chest, and the last thing on his mind before he felt the demon within him stir was that he was betrayed- played for a fool, nothing but bait for a trap… he let him live then, too.

WHAM

Further back… he found his mother dead on the floor, her head severed from her body, the house in flames…

WHAM

Surrounded by a malevolent purple aura, his right fist connected with the sway back with such force, that on the way upwards, the chain broke, sending the bag flying. Fortunately enough, it only fell to the floor, not into a wall. He was breathing heavily at the end…

_I almost changed. I could feel it… can I control it? Is such a thing possible?_

Before he could think any further, the phone in the training center began to ring. He picked it up, grateful for the change in topic, though it was still on his mind as a possibility. But he had other things to worry about… it was Asuka on the phone, and she sounded anxious- a bit nervous. He had never known her to be like this…

"Something wrong?"

"_Ah, no… nothing big, anyway. I-I just wondered… y'know, if I could… maybe come over to your house?"_

He quirked an eyebrow. That was what she was worried about? It was such a trivial matter that he almost laughed. Then, he thought about how secretive he had been acting earlier, not wanting anyone to know about what he was- what he was dealing with. Cutting himself off from anything remotely human, seeing as he… well, wasn't human anymore.

_Xiao was right. I suppose that I'll just have to get used to living again._

"Sure, why not? I have nothing going on, anyway."

She sounded relieved and excited now. That was much more like it, he thought to himself. _"Great! I was just bored out of my skull today- there's nothing to do until tomorrow, anyway, and I wanted to come see you, seeing as I'd never seen your house before."_

Jin smirked. Of course- that would be a problem, wouldn't it? "Okay. Wait a bit- I'll be right over."

She sounded skeptical. _"You'll be right over here… all the way from the Shinjuku stop? You must have something up your sleeve if you plan on moving that fast."_

He smiled. She would be in for a real treat- that was, if she had never ridden a motorcycle before. "Don't worry… I've got just the thing. Just get ready and meet outside the training hall."

* * *

Two hours later, Asuka was standing outside, wearing her pale blue body suit, along with her backpack, full of a spare change in clothes (just in case she had to stay over) and she was waiting for him. Sure, it might seem like a long time, but it was a long drive to Osaka from Shinjuku. Jin had to have something fast if he wanted to get here in that amount of-

_Huh? What's that?_

She heard the whine of an approaching engine- an engine only whined when someone was heading at a damned fast pace- and ran over to see what the deal was. Her heart skipped a few beats and was stuck in her throat for a while when she saw Jin, heading towards the dojo on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R. It was black with red and orange flames trailing from the front, his red tinted glasses glinting and flashing like two rubies.

_Oh, hell yeah!_

She almost jumped out of her skin as he skid to a halt, stopping just a few feet from her and cutting off the bike, moving the kick stand into place with his foot and climbing off. "Well? You like?" he said with a smirk. The look on her face was priceless- it was a stupid question, he knew. But he felt the need to ask anyway.

"Are you kidding? I don't like it."

He quirked an eyebrow… That was a surprise. Then her face broke out in a wide, giddy grin as she looked over the bike, admiring her reflection in the paint. "I goddamn **love** it! What is this, a Ninja? It's so awesome! And it even has your name on it," she sighed happily as she looked at his name, in a wild, sweeping cursive and blazing red and orange.

_Jin Kazama. So the demon was right…_She smiled happily to herself. It was always nice to know that she had someone to turn to- someone that was family, at least. But she had promised not to tell him until it was necessary, so she kept silent about it.

Jin shrugged, as if the sport bike were nothing special. "I've had it for a while now- few years, in fact. It's nothing special, really, but it does have its uses."

She looked at him skeptically. "You're telling me that you don't just drive this bad boy for fun? What have you been doing all your life, just locking yourself away from what you want? I never thought that you were a monk…"

He snorted. She didn't know how close to the truth she was. "I'm not. I just don't get out much- I've never really had a reason to until just recently. Thank you for that, by the way. You've been more of a help than you know."

She nodded. "Don't mention it; always willing to do some good for someone. Besides… you're cute."

Jin scoffed. "I'm not cute… let's just go."

Asuka smiled sweetly. _Yes you are. Hell, even that was cute, denying a compliment._

She walked over, put on her blue tinted shades- perfect for riding, of course- and climbed on behind Jin. As the engine came to life again, she laughed in exhilaration. Just another reason to like him- he knew how to ride a bike. It was dangerous… and she liked being dangerous.

* * *

The drive would've taken, all things considered, a total of five hours. Jin however, pretty much knew his way around Japan, so then he knew routes that took time off. That and he were on his Ninja… so that made the trip exactly two hours shorter. But the real surprise was when they headed into the more secluded parts of Shinjuku, up near the mountains.

There, she was treated to the sight of a two story mansion. She just about squealed in delight. "Look at this place! You actually live here?"

He nodded, and drove his bike into the garage… two levels underneath the house… which happened to be more like a lockup than anything. There were separate doors, all open and each with a high-performance vehicle in it. Sport bikes, cars, ATVs… it was crazy that he lived in such class and never had any fun.

"Jin, you are really sick. I mean, really. You have all this stuff, and do absolutely nothing with it? You're not one to have any fun besides fighting, are you?" He looked at her, quirking an eyebrow. What was she getting at? He had done what he did for a reason. A reason that she didn't understand…

She suddenly looked a bit worried. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong… it's just that I can't imagine you being so reclusive all the time. I can't imagine anyone that way, matter of fact. It just…"

"…Doesn't make sense, I know. But there's a reason for everything," he said as he walked toward the elevator at the back of the massive underground lockup. "Come on; I'll show you around. And I'm glad you brought a backpack- you might have to stay for a while."

She smiled at him. He seemed like the kind of person who never did things for no reason, always acting so serious and not really having any fun. Well, she would have to change that before the tournament started, and it would start today. They both got into the elevator and rode it to the next floor, which was actually the first basement level.

As the door opened, her eyes widened in sheer shock.

"This is… just crazy."

It was a training facility; one the likes of which she had never seen before. The damn place was an underground gym, complete with a boxing ring, sway bag (it had been replaced while they were gone), sand bag, speed bag, weight training… heck, this was a fitness club, not a gym. A playground for anyone who wanted to stay in shape, plus it was a Mecca for anyone who was training to fight.

The shocked expression turned into an ecstatic one. "Damn, no wonder you're so good- you've got everything you need! We're playing around down here later, okay?"

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "We don't need to spar anymore. You don't have anything else you need to work on- why be down here without a reason?" She looked at him, a bit hurt. "You need to learn how to relax every once in while. I said play around, not train. We really need to get you out a little more."

She walked around to take a look, while he thought about her words. Learn how to relax, huh? He had no time for fun and games- not anymore. Maybe he would learn how to relax again, once this was all over. For now, he had to be at his best. There was no time for emotions or anything of the sort, though he found himself attracted to her.

Hell, he even started to like her, if not respect her. There was just… something about her, inside of her, that reminded him of his mother. That may not have been a good enough reason, but to him, it was. In any event, he waited by the elevator while she practiced on the speed bag for a bit, her fists and elbows flying, slamming the bag into its ceiling again and again at a wicked pace.

She laughed as she gave the bag one final, hard punch, almost breaking the damned thing. But it stayed intact, and seemed all right, unlike the sway bag from earlier. The good news was that she liked what she saw. The bad news was that we now had a now worked up Asuka, who had her adrenaline and her blood pumping.

And the only way to calm herself… was a fight.

"Okay, I'm pretty much ready. C'mon, Jin."

He nodded and walked toward the elevator. Asuka poked him on the shoulder to stop him in his tracks. "Not there…"

He looked behind him questioningly, before turning around and frowning slightly as he saw her point towards the ring. "I meant over there. Forget the playing around later- I feel like playing now." He shook his head and simply said "There's no reason to fight. Let's just move on-"

She shoved him playfully. "You don't have one? Or are you afraid that I'll beat you again?" Yes, she knew that their battles had been mostly to a draw, but she had to provoke him somehow. It didn't work.

"We've been fighting to a draw mostly. I can't see what point another fight between us would have. You wanted to see the house, right? Well, let's go."

She stood firm, a determined look on her face. She started to get frustrated, and her energy level was only getting higher. If she didn't expound it soon, she swore that she was going to go crazy. As if her determination were a tangible force, a faint halo of light surrounded her.

Jin could feel her aura fill the room, could feel her intent to fight. Had she managed to finally tap into her energy without thinking about it? He actually smiled to himself. There was no way out, was there? "On second thought… if you want it that bad, then I can't possibly escape from this situation. I'll deal with you first."

She grinned. "That's what I like to hear!"

She ran toward the ring and slid under the ropes, standing up as she slid to a halt in the middle of the canvas, gesturing for him to come at her. "Let's do this!"

* * *

He could feel it, even from here.

An immense shockwave of power, somewhere in Japan… he made an attempt to pinpoint the exact location, but had his attempts blocked. Something was halting his efforts. Usually, nothing did. This meant that it could be only one thing. The One True Power had awakened- the power to subdue demons. It was a power that only came with the Angel Gene… the exact counterpart of the Devil Gene that he possessed, as well as most of the Mishima blood line.

He frowned distastefully. This would hinder his plans… he would have to interfere. But he knew not how… if he came within distance of her, the sheer force would be enough to tear him apart, seeing as it only seemed to work on those with the polar opposite inside of them, instead of just normal humans.

_Hmph… it looks like I'll just have to wait until later to kill her. The tournament will give me a prime opportunity to kill them both, take what I need, and destroy everything._

He was very willing to wait.

* * *

Of course, the energy had to be released somehow, right? So what happened to have such a thing activate so violently? Well, it was very simple… the collision of two separate, but equal forces. Jin had tapped into his power as well, his devil side coming to the surface in response to the Angel Gene, as if the two were attracted to each other.

Thus as their fists connected, the two of them attacking at the same time, the shockwave of power stretched out through the training center, and out in a wide radius equaling about four city blocks. Anyone who was spiritually sensitive would be bombarded with this power, and have a major migraine during the fight.

It was a clash of wills and energies, and the one with the stronger spirit would win this battle. Asuka could feel his energy rising as he struck again, a right hook to her head, and she parried the attack with an outside block, coming at him with a high left spin kick, knocking him to the floor.

Not feeling the need to stop there, she cartwheeled through the air, attempting to stomp him flat with both of her legs. He managed to roll out of her path, letting the attack pound into the canvas, but as she stomped hard she bent her knees slightly, getting ready for the two circle kicks, hoping to catch him off guard and keep the pressure up.

For once, they worked. As he rose up, preparing to hit her with a right uppercut, the first of the circles hit him, her legs pounding into him twice. He staggered to his right, and the other circle kick hit him dead on, knocking him to the mat again.

By now, he was starting to get a bit frustrated. She had an unfair advantage in the Angel Gene- one that she was born with. As stand alone humans, they were on par. But when it came to this… he stood and advanced slowly this time, looking for an opening. She wasted no time in coming at him before leaning backwards, her hands planting on the floor as her left leg kicked up at his chin.

_Not this time._

He blocked the strike, her energy field knocking him backwards slightly before she rushed at him with the trademark right uppercut. On instinct, he kicked out at her in a left roundhouse kick, his shin racing for the side of her head as she ducked low to deliver the strike. As expected, it hit her in mid move, making her get up as she was stunned from the sudden pain.

She had forgotten that he was just as powerful.

She would regret forgetting such information as he came at her immediately, his right fist slamming into her head as she got up, followed by a left overhead hook that pounded into her chest, almost knocking her down.

When he saw that she wasn't down yet, he figured that it was time to finish the job. He came at her one last time, coming at her with a right elbow to keep the pressure up and her guard down, and then lay into her with his own personal combination which he was quite proud of…

Kazama Fury.

The left punch came in quickly, straight into her nose bridge, followed by a high left roundhouse kick. While she was still heady from the attack, he tore into her with two body hooks, right, then left, before kicking her shin with his right leg. By the time he was finished, everything on her screamed in pain.

And it wasn't over.

His arms snapped outward immediately after the right shin kick, and his hands began to shine with his energy. Not even hesitating for a moment, he slammed into her with one final combination- four gut punches- right, left, and then right again before he sent her flying toward the ropes with a heavy left body thrust.

She bounced off of the ropes and collapsed to the floor, completely wasted.

He turned his back to her and walked towards the ropes, preparing to leave. As he stepped one foot out however, he felt her stir. Looking behind him in a shocked expression, he watched her _get up from his assault_, albeit slowly. She was breathing heavily, and looked like she had just seen hell, but she was conscious… and alive… and still ready to fight.

"N-not bad, Jin. I figured… I figured you'd be strong. But it's not… over… yet!"

Even Jin's Devil was afraid… they both had the same thought on their mind right now.

_Oh, shit…_

She came rushing at him, as if she were much stronger than before and with such speed that Jin was thrown off guard slightly. As she ducked low, preparing for the same right upper, he stepped foot back in the ring and started rushing toward her, crouching as he stepped forward and prepared to deliver a hard right hook, hopefully flooring her again.

It didn't happen. His fist sailed through the air as she ducked neatly under it, the punch not coming. Jin's eyes widened slightly, and he knew he was in for a world of hurt… She grabbed him by his head and slammed him down forcefully, bringing stars to his eyes. Asuka then tossed him straight up, sending him spinning at the same time before giving him a left punch while in midair, followed by a low right sweep, then a backwards right fist, before sending him flying towards the ropes in a hard right heel kick.

Up… over… and out.

She stood there for a moment, letting herself calm down. The fight was over, and her adrenaline had run its course… her aura died down just like it came- without her knowledge. And then, with a satisfied smile that she had actually beaten him, she let herself collapse to the mat and pass out.

Jin meanwhile, had hit the floor of the training center, and was very fortunate that the floor was padded instead of simply being concrete. Well, he would've been glad, had he not been knocked senseless while in mid air. But the last coherent thought that he had before he slipped into the ether was…

_She's too strong!

* * *

_

"Mmmm…" She woke up much later, as the sun was setting. A little rest had done her good, seeing as she was just worked to exhaustion, and she also had time to think. What had happened that made her so powerful all of a sudden, when the two of them were usually at an even standing? She didn't know how it happened, but remembered vaguely that the first thing she felt before she started feeling a rush of sheer power was excitement.

She was working on the speed bag, getting a good rhythm in. She felt her heart race and her body settle into a comfortable routine as she closed her eyes, not even needing to see the bag, save for in her mind. She felt her fists and elbows impact with the bag, and heard it slam into the steel ceiling. She imagined that it was the head of the man who had put her father in the hospital, and started wailing on the bag, each hook, jab and elbow strike hitting dead on.

She started laughing with sheer glee. She had improved, and dramatically at that! Her excitement started to reach a high point, and her body seemed to show the effects as it seemed to get stronger from her warm up… perhaps a little too strong.

_Whoa! What's this about?_

She shrugged it off, not questioning it any further, and gave the bag one final, hard left cross before laughing again. She couldn't believe that he was just letting her use this. But there was a problem… she was warmed up now, and her blood was flowing nicely, as well as her energy. She needed a release.

So she asked Jin for a spar, just for fun.

He said that there was no reason to fight, in his usual pacifistic way. However, she wouldn't take no for an answer, and her sheer determination increased her energy ten-fold. Perhaps it was then, in the back of her mind, that she slowly began to realize that something was happening to her.

Whatever it was, it was something good.

On top of that, she had not only stood up to him, who was somehow much stronger and faster than before, and survived his attacks- which would've crushed anyone else, mind you- but she had won. She knocked him clean out of the ring, without another thought. As she collapsed to the canvas, she managed a smile.

_I got you!_

Now, she was on her feet in a rush. Suddenly thinking about Jin, she came to the hasty conclusion that she might have done more harm than good, and rushed over to the side of the ring. "Jin! Are you okay?" She looked over the ropes, and found that he wasn't there.

"I'm fine, thanks."

She looked over toward the bathrooms and saw him come out, wearing a white skintight shirt with short sleeves, and black pants with a flame motif flaring up the left leg. He had a towel around his neck and looked entirely too comfortable for someone who just got his ass handed to him.

"And I have to say, you've done well. I didn't expect most of your moves at all, much less for you to be so fast. You bested me fairly."

She smiled in relief and pride. He accepted his defeat awfully graceful- almost too gracefully. But it was better than having a sore loser pout over his beat down, like Tsai and his thugs. She liked his humility and his laid back attitude, and felt comfortable around him.

_Very comfy, at that… he looks so damned gorgeous!_

But she shook that thought out of her head for the moment. That was for later. "Well then, how about that tour?" Jin smiled and shook his head at her. "I'll never figure it out, how you can change the topic so quickly. Didn't you feel anything strange during all that?"

Ah, that. She bit her bottom lip, chewing it nervously. He wasn't one to let things go, now was he? But she decided to tell him what happened. When he heard, he nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well then, you sure do have a strong spirit, that's for sure." Of course, he wouldn't tell her that he knew exactly what had happened- not only had his devil side reacted, but the Angel Gene in his blood- from his mother, of course- reacted as well.

Hence, he fought her at _four_ times the strength and speed, though she had given him a good beating at the start. So when she got up from his massive assault… it was no wonder that he stared at her in shock. Anyone else would've been _killed_, enhancements or no.

But her… no, she was merely winded, and severely bruised. But even he could feel her injuries healing, though he figured that they wouldn't do so in such a short time. Now, he wondered if the scenario would repeat itself in the tournament proper…

She looked at him skeptically. "Strong spirit, huh? If that were all, then I would have barely won. But that… was no skin of the teeth win. I knocked you clean out of the ring, even after that beating you gave me. You know something, but you don't want to tell me, do you?"

Did she see that much? Was he that transparent that she could guess almost instantly? He shook his head at her. "It's not that I don't want to tell you… just that you're not ready for the truth of the matter yet." She looked at him sternly, her hands on her hips.

"When will I be ready then, smart guy?"

He looked at her with a piercing gaze. "You'll find out at the tournament. All the answers are there. You'll just have to fight for them." He walked towards the elevator at that, gesturing for her to follow. "Let's finish the tour around the house."

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Awakening**

Boo-yeah! Now, that's what I call a fight. There's nothing like a good round of ass-whoop to get a story moving. Thanks for your reviews, everyone. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… or something like that.

_Ja ne_.


	7. The Night Before

_Tomorrow was the tournament._

_The thoughts, hopes, and dreams of victory would be running through the heads of many, as well as battle strategies and tactics. However, for two, nothing was running through either mind. Well, nothing but thoughts of each other. Jin in particular hoped that they would not have to fight each other..._

_Nothing was wrong with thinking about one another- it just took Jin some getting used to. Caring for someone else- caring whether they won or lost anything. For the longest time, all Jin cared for was his revenge- bringing Heihachi justice for what he had done to him. In addition, he felt that he had to defeat his father, for starting this mess in the first place._

_But most of all, the Devil within him wanted to be whole. Sure, there was the fact that the Angel Gene restricted his powers… so he wanted to get rid of it altogether, though that was next to impossible. Jin didn't care… once upon a time. He simply wanted to fulfill the destiny of his cursed blood- it was the only reason he had to live._

_Funny how a reason presents itself, just in time…

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

**Disclaimer:** What, I have to say this again? Nothing in this fic that is Tekken-related is mine. Dig? Good. Now read.

* * *

Asuka was also thinking about Jin…

She wanted to help him in any way she could- his past seemed more than a bit unfair to him, as if life continually dealt him the low card every time he pulled. She felt like doing something good for him- making something happen that was not tragic, for once. But she had a bit of trouble thinking about what to do.

She simply decided to watch out for him in the tournament- to see if she could do something to help him in between rounds. Sure, it might have looked like cheating, but it wouldn't be. She would just give him support when he needed it. That was all.

In any case, she got up, thoughts of him and concern for him driving her out of her sleep. She had to do something if she wanted any rest. So she tried to clear out the many thoughts in her head by sitting on her knees on the soft bed, closing her eyes, and meditating.

Her mind sorted out the thoughts, one after the other, trying to put them in some logical order. She didn't know what was happening to her of late, but she did know that it was something important. At least, that was her opinion. To Jin, who had seen more than his share of bizarre things, it was probably an everyday occurrence.

He was remarkably calm about the whole ordeal, as if he didn't feel one way or another about it- in fact, it sounded like he had expected it. What else was there about him that she didn't know? Why did he somehow know of what was happening, and wouldn't tell her? And why did she have the feeling that some part of him didn't want her to be near him at all?

_Just more questions without answers, I see,_ she thought as she stopped trying to clear her mind. It wasn't enough to just try and clear the thoughts out of her head. In desperation, she had one last idea. Sure it was crazy, given the circumstances… but what was she to do, just stay awake all night?

She made her way towards Jin's room- the biggest room in the mansion, evidently. As she opened the door as quietly as possible, she looked inside and found the massive and well-furnished master bedroom haloed in the pale moonlight that shone from the balcony window. It was an eerie sight, but beautiful at the same time.

She closed the door quietly behind her- well, as quietly as she could- and walked across the soft carpet towards the bed, where Jin was sleeping peacefully. As she looked on his face, the moonlight giving him a sort of sheen and glow, she smiled sweetly. She wanted to kiss him, definitely. Not only was he a great guy, who just needed to relax, she couldn't deny that he looked… irresistible.

_Just one… I could steal just one, and be all right forever…_

But she debated that within herself. The fact was that she couldn't bring herself to do it- she liked him, sure… but what if he didn't like her? He always acted apathetic and nonchalant- not even bothering to look her way at times when speaking to her. She hated that about him- to her, he was simply disregarding her- acting as if she didn't exist.

But as she looked at him again, she imagined the smile that she had rarely seen on his face, or the times that he had acted cute. Not to mention his intense gaze whenever he just stared at her with those endless brown eyes, although they still seemed without any life. Sure, she could see a little spark within them now and then, which meant that something was there once, but those moments were rare.

She wanted to put the life back into him again, even if it took a lifetime.

But for now, she had to get some sleep… just then, she gasped as she heard his voice.

"Just how long have you been standing there, Asuka?"

As her heart slowly descended from her throat and slowed it's frantic pace, she answered him, a bit flustered at his catching her off guard. "Long enough... I couldn't sleep. Do you mind if I… y'know…" Jin managed to chuckle. There was some irony in this- he could at least see that much.

"If you wish. I certainly don't mind, just as long as I can get some sleep as well. Nothing personal meant by that, of course…"

She nodded. "No offense taken. I just need some sleep." She walked over to the other side of the bed and got in. She felt better already- something about him made her less uneasy about all this. She smiled lazily as she finally let her thoughts slip away, and spoke to Jin. "Thanks… I think I can get some rest now. After all, we're going to need it."

He nodded. "About tomorrow… don't hold anything back. When the time comes, you're going to have to put everything you've got into each fight. They certainly won't care for your well being out there, after all." She nodded, still in a haze and too tired to argue with him. Besides, she saw his point- he had been through two of these things, while this was her first one. How could he be wrong?

"I understand. I'll keep that in mind." She sighed blissfully as she sank further into the mattress. She had never felt so good and so right before. It could've been anything else, but she somehow knew that this time, it wasn't. It was because of Jin that she felt so comfortable.

Jin could feel her relax as well, and couldn't help but smile himself. He was happy that she was at peace, for some reason that he couldn't name. Maybe it wasn't just her blood that called out to her- maybe it was her drive. Maybe her strong will. Or maybe the passion that she applied to everything she did, whether fighting or not. Aside from that, she looked beautiful when she was angry- as beautiful as she did when she was happy.

Hell, she just looked beautiful.

She was so… _alive_ that he felt like he had to live as well, just to see what it was like.

He found himself liking it again. Maybe revenge wasn't so important after all- life certainly seemed interesting again. Besides, with her there, he just might be able to get past all this, and finally be free. In the meantime, he tried to go back to sleep, when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and someone snuggling behind him.

Asuka smiled softly and sighed in contentment. Jin had to wonder just how much of an effect that he was having on her… in any case, she certainly helped him nod off as well. They certainly made a pretty picture, snuggled up like that, and one would swear that they looked like they would kiss each other if Jin turned his head just enough… but he didn't. He was already asleep.

It was too bad that it had to come to an end the next day, like a passing dream…

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Night Before**

Just a little interlude while I go get me a copy of T5. I have to do a little research, after all… let me know how things are turning out. Do I need more chemistry? Was this too subtle? I'm trying to make it look innocent and intriguing at the same time, but the language is definitely going to be something not for kids in the next chapter.

After all, I have to make this fic stand up to the rating given.

_Ja ne_.


	8. The Gathering

_It was a time-honored tradition- a battle of minds, bodies, and sheer will. Many shady dealings went on behind the scenes, especially with the sponsor, the Mishima Zaibatsu Financial Empire. But despite those, the tournament was a big hit with millions world wide… this was the Tekken. The King of Iron Fist… and it was today._

_The rules were simple._

_**Preliminaries:** Double Elimination tournament- classic sparring rules. Five points wins the match. Punches are one, kicks worth two. It might seem simple, but in the King of Iron Fist tournament, it can be __very difficult to score mere punches and kicks… win two, advance. Lose two… well, you don't have to leave… but you have to get the hell out of the tournament._

_Thirty enter… ten go home._

_**Quarter-Finals:** Sparring is over- this is do or die. Win by knock out, surrender, or TKO. Joint locks, elbows, knees, kidney shots… anything goes, so long as one celebrates the time-honored tradition of kickin' ass. Official locations are spread around the world- and mostly in public places, where spectators can look on. But in reality, there are cameras set up in just about __any location where a fight could happen, and that's __anywhere that an official challenge is issued. And I mean anywhere. Insane? Yes. That's why it's the worlds greatest._

_Twenty enter…eight leave._

_**Semi-Finals:** Similar rules, but with a twist… things start getting downright bloody. Legs and arms tend to get broken and joints weakened to the point of separation by now. The destructive aspect of each martial art comes into play, as fighters are now allowed to use deadly force. Sure, a knock out still stands; ten counts are still registered but if they manage to stand, one can keep going until the other can't get up… ever again. Surrender or TKO is no longer an option._

_Twelve enter… eight go home either incapacitated, unconscious, or in a body bag._

_**Finals:** Well then, this is it- the last four, all in one location. This is the royal rumble… all four go at it- three on one, two on two, all on all and all or nothing. All prior rules apply- one has the choice of beating an opponent comatose, or going for the kill._

_Two are eliminated…_

_**Championship:** This is the big show. At an as yet undisclosed location, the last two fighters are treated to a major event… both get to go against the head of the Zaibatsu himself, who claims to be a quite avid martial artist. Once one goes in, the other waits… one after another, until one is left standing. If in the event that the original head of the Zaibatsu is defeated upon the first opponent, then the winner takes his place._

_You know where it goes from there… welcome to the fifth King of Iron Fist tournament.

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction:

_**Caught Up!**_

**Disclaimer:** Hmm… lessee… Nope, not mine.

* * *

Asuka woke up feeling quite… good, actually. Her eyes fluttered open as the sunlight gently fell on her face. She stretched out, moaning softly and pleasantly, a content smile on her face. She didn't want to wake up just yet… even though today was the tournament. She felt too damn good.

She decided, just as an experiment, to open her eyes slightly, looking to her left.

_Huh? Where's Jin?_

Then, she considered the circumstances, and shrugged to herself. He was probably in the gym in the lower levels, training his ass off. She could understand, though it seemed a bit boring, training every day just to get his vengeance, or to get whole, or whatever. It seemed monotonous and dull. She was just about to head back to sleep when she heard it.

…The faint sound of an engine. Something was going on outside- had to be. She hopped out of bed, put on a velvet robe, and headed downstairs toward the elevator, grabbing an apple from the kitchen as she did so. If he was doing what she thought he was… then there was hope for him after all.

As she made her way down to the garage, she found exactly what she was looking for- or rather, wasn't looking for. One of the lockups for an ATV was empty… she grinned widely and rushed back to the elevator to get dressed. Yup, there was hope for him indeed.

* * *

Jin had woken up in the early morning, silently and swiftly. Looking down on Asuka as she slept, he couldn't help but allow himself a smile. She was a rare thing, to come into his life and try to get him to open up again. He couldn't stay with her for long, either- she was too good for him.

_Maybe in another life, something could've happened… but not in this one. _

He made his way quietly downstairs, getting himself something to eat. As he made himself some eggs and toast pulling out some orange juice as well, he wondered what this tournament would bring to the forefront… maybe something that wasn't catastrophic, for once. He smirked to himself- that would be the day. He looked up at the stairs every so often, wondering if Asuka would wake up to the smell of something cooking.

She didn't. Not once.

He was a bit curious about this. She was still asleep? What had happened last night to make her crash so hard like that? Or was it that she still thought that he was in bed? He shrugged to himself and kept going.

By the time that he was finished, he casually did his morning routine; stretches, sit ups, push ups, crunches, things of that sort. Usually after this, he would head for the gym to train for the rest of the day- taking a dip in the pool afterwards, meditating to keep focused on his mission…

But now… now there was something else in mind. Her words came back to him as he walked toward the elevator after he was finished with his warm-up.

_You have all this stuff and do absolutely nothing with it? You're not one to have any fun besides fighting, are you?_

_You really need to learn how to relax every once in a while… We really need to get you out more…_

_It's just that I can't imagine you being so reclusive all the time. I can't imagine anyone that way, matter of fact…_

By the time he was out of the elevator, he found himself in the underground lock-up. He looked around, confused for a bit, and then smiled, shaking his head. It seemed that he had missed his stop, or pressed the wrong button. Either that, or fate itself was trying to kick some sense into him.

_Asuka… do you see what you're doing to me?_

He decided to clear his mind some other way… so he got on one of his ATVs and rode out toward the mountain trails, hoping to get his mind in order before the tournament. Besides… it could actually prove to be more fun than pushing himself in training, for once. If it was… well, he would have to do it more often, when this was all over.

* * *

Asuka had gone out herself, once she had put her clothes on and gotten her bag- which still had her hakama and gi inside, by the way. She had never gotten a real chance to use it- well, she would today, and that was for sure. In any case, she was out on another one of the ATVs, and had her usual pair of blue-tinted shades on.

As she hopped over a hill, she whooped in exhilaration. This was crazy- she wondered why she had never done something this fun before. She saw another one up ahead- Jin's. She grinned and revved her engine, speeding toward him headlong. Seeing as he had not said good morning, she would say it in her own way.

She bumped straight into his rear fender, making him look behind him with a bit of an irritated expression on his face. His features softened a bit when he saw that it was only Asuka. He was still a bit miffed, though.

"What's the big idea, running into me like that?"

The grin was still on her face as she bumped him again. "You didn't say good morning before you left. I'd have appreciated it," she teased. She knew perfectly well that he wasn't one to do anything he didn't feel the need to do. He scoffed and kept driving, now with her beside him.

"Oh, come on! I'm only playing. Man, you take things way too seriously." Jin rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back the smile on his face. She had him pegged, it seemed. As he revved his engine again, he bumped right back into her, his front wheels knocking into her bike as he peeled off.

"You're it!"

* * *

A man with a crimson red suit had just arrived at the airport.

His hawk like eyes surveyed the scene before him, trying to figure everything out. Apparently, this was a bigger city than he first thought. But he would tear the place apart, if he had to- the scrolls had to be his. He would learn the God Fist, even if it took him a lifetime.

_None of these fools are a match for me… that school was a pushover, and this tournament will fare no better. I will be the champion, and get the scrolls at the same time… simple enough._

He walked toward the terminal, a grin on his face. His lust for power would be his downfall, but he cared not. All he wanted was to be the best… at any cost.

* * *

A beautiful young woman with a cinnamon tan, inviting brown eyes, and who seemed to be radiating good cheer was casually listening to a cd that she had brought with her, walking along and admiring the sights around her for the second time.

She had been here before; looking for Eddy Gordo… she had found him. He was injured and a bit scraggly, but alive and well none the less. Upon the end of the last tournament, she received the news that her grandfather was to be released from prison.

She headed off for Rio de Janeiro without another thought. But what she had learned afterwards shocked her. He was dying slowly- without treatment, he had naught but six months to live. For the next few months, the doctors tried everything they could, but to no avail.

The only way to save him would be to possess the necessary equipment and technology- the one that the Mishima Zaibatsu possessed. So now here she was again, ready to put her skills on the line. Not to mention have one hell of a party.

There wasn't much that could get Christie Montiero down…

* * *

He was already looking for him…

His blood boiled when he thought about the last time they had fought. It had been a draw, plain and simple. Neither had gotten the upper hand on the other, and it was getting ridiculous how his adversary had an answer to every move that he threw at him. On top of that, he had been carted off by the military, without a chance to finish the whole thing.

He still seethed at the whole thing. He hated the military, the tournament; he hated pretty much himself for not beating him when he had the chance. But now… now was his chance. Now he might be able to settle the score- perhaps even keep fighting with him. Heck, he had started to respect the guy for his ability, and couldn't wait to try out some of his new tricks.

Yeah… this was Hwoarang's big chance to take Jin Kazama down.

_Now then, all I have to do is find the little bastard… where the hell are you, Kazama?

* * *

_

Undoubtedly, they all wanted a piece of him.

He could see it in their eyes, even if they weren't looking right at him. He was the man to beat, wasn't he? Yeah, that was it. He was the one they would be truly afraid of. He was pretty much undead- his cybernetic enhancements were the greatest achievements that money could buy and the mind could create. The power generator within him would keep him alive for… what, centuries? Maybe even longer than that!

Yeah, he was the one to beat. Just that no one knew it yet. Oh, but those ants from the "secret lair" he had emerged from knew it perfectly well... he could feel a quite evil, sick laugh come from his throat at the thought, but he'd save it for later. Right now, he had a tournament to win.

_Hell, these punks won't know what hit 'em!

* * *

_

The blonde bombshell surveyed the airport with a cold, frosty gaze.

There was only one reason why she was here… to reclaim her memories. Of course, she had come to pay a little visit to her dear sister. However, this would be the end of their heated relationship- she would kill her this time. Granted, the memory had surfaced out of the blue, but she suddenly felt an innate hatred for the brunette once she saw her.

The gun battle that ensued lasted for days…

In the end, they had decided to call the match a draw and settle this entire battle the old-fashioned way… a fist fight. They would meet at the tournament and fight to the death. Whether they killed each other or not, it was no matter. Nina Williams had been looking for her death anyway, and there was no better way than to go down swinging.

* * *

A few other planes had arrived that day- carrying other people from all over the globe. They had come for one reason and one only… the King of Iron Fist. And damned if this one wasn't going to be a hell of a battle…

The roster included thirty of the most seasoned fighters that this day and age had to offer, and each one brought with them a hope… a dream… a passion. Not only those, but their best moves as well. And each knew that they would need every one of them in order to truly go for the ultimate prize…

…The Mishima Zaibatsu Financial Empire. Granted, one could do anything they wanted with their newfound power, but most of them did not care one way or the other. They had their own personal vendettas- their rivalries, their scores to settle. Some were even entering for justice.

But regardless of the situation, they were all willing to die for their causes.

Good… they would probably do so in the process, before this was over.

* * *

Jin and Asuka were on a ledge on the mountain, one that gave them a perfect view of the city and everything. The morning sun shone merrily on them as they sat there, looking over the entire area. Jin had to smile to himself as he looked over the city, and Asuka noticed it. She couldn't help but ask.

"You're smiling again… whatcha thinking about, Jin?"

He looked over at her and shook his head, the smile still visible. "What am I thinking about? Well, nothing really. It's just that I used to go up here every once in a while to think about things. I never realized how much I had taken this spot for granted- or how nice it is up here."

She nodded. "It's nice because you're not alone out here, right? You've been by yourself for such a long time that you've forgotten what it means to have fun or to enjoy something. At least, that's what I think. I wouldn't know for sure if that's true but I… hey, what're you looking at me like that for?"

He was staring at her in awe. How could she guess him so easily? She had just effectively read him like a book, cover to cover. Was he that shallow and transparent, or did she really see things that others could not? He shook his head and smiled at her. "I don't know… I don't have a reason, I guess."

He turned his head and made to stand up, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head again and found that he was staring right in Asuka's eyes. "Hey… I didn't tell you to stop, did I? You have such nice eyes… I wouldn't mind being here all day…"

And suddenly… the tournament, his revenge, his past, his father, even the demon within him… didn't matter at all. She did.

_This is it… I was too scared to do this earlier. But then again, while I'm looking into his eyes, I just… oh, hell with it! Let's just do this…one… two…_

Asuka, not being one to miss an opportunity when she saw one, threw away all her doubts, leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. Not wanting to be rude by simply pulling away, he kissed back. Besides… this felt right. For the first time in almost forever, everything felt right.

_I suppose I'll have to get used to this too… but I like it._

As he pulled away, he smiled at her- the smile that was so rare to her that she would fight for it. "Come on… we have a tournament to enter."

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Gathering**

Whoa… now that was… well, I don't know where that came from, I promise. It just popped out of my head. Well anyway, I'm slowly moving on up through the ranks and stuff. Current level of the relationship between these two is… well, I don't know what to call it right now, but it's getting somewhere.

Anyway, prepare for the King of Iron Fist- Slayer style!

_Ja ne_.


	9. The Prelims 1

_The preliminaries..._

_Sparring matches are demonstrations of basic maneuvers, as well as tests of precision, accuracy, and focus. Lethal force is a big no, and protective equipment has to be worn. Sure, there are people who don't like to spar all that much… but if they don't, they shouldn't have entered in the first place._

_Besides, every tournament has to start somewhere, and this one- just like every one- starts with the basics. Scoring is one point for punches, two for kicks. That is, if they score. At the end of the day, those with two wins advance… those with two losses get to leave. Ten are cut from the roster… and twenty get to advance to the down and dirty.

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

**A.N.** - One of my reviewers made a few good points- I will take the liberty of addressing them here. In this version of events, the two of them _are not_ related. I wanted to keep some part of the story fresh, at first… just to set a basis for the pairing. Still, this is, at best, a "what if" scenario. Things would definitely change for certain characters if they had known each other prior to the tournament. But yeah- I'll make it a point to indicate that in this update.

Second point that was stated- Jin being a little OOC… please let me know where, good friend, because if I put it there, then it's there for a reason. If I find you correct, however, then I'll be happy to get my act together.

Yeah, I know this pairing seems odd… but as stated before, I've seen **far too many** Xiaoyu/Jin and Julia/Jin fics out there. (Can't imagine why Julia and Jin would work, but whatever floats yer boat.) I think that XiaoJin is a nice pairing… it's just that T5 has a new charrie… and I couldn't wait to play around with this concept.

And another thing… said reviewer stated that the Angel Gene theory is original. Forgive me for this part… but it's not. Not really, anyway. I think that certain events in Tekken 2, as well as the events prior to Tekken 3, pretty much solidify this theory, in some way shape or form.

In other words, if you're wondering why Jin doesn't have the usual demon's wings… or why he wasn't able to change into his devil form in Tekken 4 when Devil Kazuya tried it… That right there is the reason. The reason why he transformed so suddenly into his devil is simple- Jinpachi woke up.nod

I happened to watch his "ending", as well as the story between Heihachi and Kazuya, and it explained everything in a few scenes. Apparently, Heihachi had chained and locked his own father away under the Hon-Maru temple, after defeating him in combat for the rights to the Mishima Financial Empire. During the forty year span between then and the tournament, the originator of the Mishima-Ryu style of karate died.

He just wouldn't stay dead… due to the fact that he was possessed by a demon- theories point to either another Devil Gene or a very old foe- Ogre. The Devil Within mini-game pretty much points to that as well, so I'll take that implied canon and run with it. Kazuya was the one who made the pact with the devil- neither Heihachi nor Jinpachi did so. That being the case, there's only one other explanation…

Well, in any case, on with the big show. Inform me of the mistakes I made in your review of this chapter, if you ever make another one.

**Disclaimer:** Nope… not mine. Go read.

* * *

Jin had called Ling earlier, hearing that she was entering as well, and the three of them drove over to the venue of the tournament. It was to be a simple sparring contest- no lethal strikes, first to five points. That said, it would be highly difficult to actually land a certain strike while using basic skills, especially if the woman who used capoeira was in the tournament again. The sheer speed of her kicks was enough to knock anyone off their feet.

In any case, it would simply be another one in his way. He had to get rid of the one behind all this, before it was too late for him… or anyone else. In the meantime, he had to get everyone else out of his path, and this would be a good place to start. Granted, he wanted Asuka to do well… but at the same time, if it really came down to it… he would have to win against her, sooner or later.

As they parked outside, Jin noticed something very familiar… Hwoarang's bike. He sighed to himself- he just couldn't get a break. He would have to deal with him sooner or later. If not here, then sometime else. Jin was the current two-time King of Iron Fist- of course his self-proclaimed rival would come after him.

Asuka had her mind focused on getting Lei Wulong out of her way. She had heard that the detective was entering the tournament, going after the man who hospitalized her father. He would become a nuisance later in the tournament, and would need to be gotten rid of now, before the two met in actual combat.

Ling had her mind set on getting Heihachi and Kazuya- if they were around, anyway- out of the tournament at this point. She didn't care whether it was by her or someone else, though she would like to be the one to personally end Heihachi's run here. She was surprised that Heihachi was in the tournament instead of hosting it- much less alive in the first place- but she was glad. This would give her the chance to take out her anger on him for making Jin's life miserable (she was the only one that he explained the situation to before he isolated himself).

The three of them nodded to each other as they walked through the doors and split up to get changed and ready.

* * *

Another was watching the proceedings.

A man in the shadows- mostly observing. He watched everyone with a keen eye, looking for something or someone. Soon, he found it- it was Kazuya Mishima, and he was casually resting against one of the walls, waiting for his name to be called. Undoubtedly, it was him. He was probably here because of the… incident in Hon-Maru two months ago.

He was there when it happened, after all.

However, he then saw something that surprised him. Heihachi- and he was alive and well. His clothes were burned at the edges and he looked like a mess, but he was otherwise all right. This could get very interesting… or very volatile. He would have to watch these two intently.

Then, the kid walked in- Jin Kazama, he believed was his name. Along with two women- one in blue coveralls that had the pant legs stop just at the beginning of her thighs, the other in a pink silk dress with a flower print on it. He didn't have any data on the women- either of them- but he knew quite well that the young man was the current King of Iron Fist.

_So he's here to defend his title? Hmph… luckily for me, I don't have to include myself in this sparring… I'm here for business, not pleasure. All I have to do is challenge and take out competitors, and get myself enough points to advance._

He already had everything- from an expertly forged permit into the tournament proper- to the necessary precautions, should it be discovered that he had infiltrated instead of participated. He didn't have to be here anymore… with a few sharp hand motions, along with focusing his energy into the movements, he struck the ground and vanished from sight.

_He's alive? I'll have to report this to command…

* * *

_

It had begun.

Steve was putting the pressure on Jin… his punches had gotten faster than last time, and even with those gloves on it was a real pain when he hit his forearms. He managed to land a right overhead hook followed by a hard left uppercut, making his opponent stumble backwards and effectively breaking his stance before coming at him with a dashing right straight, hitting him clean in the jaw.

The ref broke them up when Jin tried to retaliate, and he reluctantly stepped back, getting into stance again. Steve struck first once again, ducking forward and low. Jin decided that he wouldn't get near enough to him this time and turned on his left heel, striking out with his right heel. He missed as Steve slid smoothly to his left and gave him two hefty body blows, sending him to the mat.

However, only the first punch counted… no matter. He had the advantage now. He stepped back and let him get up- and as he did so, the Fox could see the frustration building in his opponent's eyes. All he did was smile back… he had this one right where he wanted him. Steve decided to make some small talk.

"I heard that you couldn't get that girl, Asuka, to leave this tournament alone."

Jin's eyes narrowed. "Really… and who told you **that**?" He rushed with an impressive speed, taking off from the ground and staying low. For once, Steve was taken by surprise, but never the less he ducked to the right this time, and prepared to lay into him with a hard right straight, aiming for where his head would be.

He got knocked sideways with a right hook that came faster than even he expected, and was sent spinning through the air. As he hit the ground, Jin walked back to his position and waited for him to recover. Even the Fox had to shake the hit off a bit- Jin had gotten better as well. That right hook was mean- he had to be careful. "A guy named Lei Wulong- he's a detective working for Interpol. He told me to knock her out of the competition if I got the chance."

Jin smirked. A conspiracy, was it? Well if their sparring sessions were any indication, the two of them had another thing coming. "If he wants to do that, he should do it himself- not convince others to do it for him. But then again, it's none of my business- she can handle herself. Come on."

Steve smirked. _So this guy is the King of Iron Fist, huh? Interesting…_

"Gladly!" he said as he attacked again.

* * *

Asuka was having just as hard of a time, as she was aggressively being assaulted by Julia Chang. The woman would not let up, even for a second, and she was starting to lose her concentration. Already she had gotten hit three times, and each was a punch or some other strike, besides a kick.

She was three points down, and couldn't take a fourth. She had to break it now. After another attempt to knock the wind out of her with a gut punch, Julia came at her with a hard left uppercut, intent on breaking Asuka's stance again. Thing was, the aikido prodigy saw it coming.

It happened purely on instinct and reaction, almost without thought. When Julia tried the right body straight, Asuka blocked inwards with her left arm, knocking the attack to the side before turning on her right heel and kicking out with her left leg. Her heel slammed right into Julia's head, sending her to the mat. If it weren't for the head gear that she was wearing, that would really hurt.

As Julia was knocked to the floor, Asuka backed away. She felt a little better now that she had vented a bit of frustration. Besides, that was two points- she had caught up very quickly. Julia simply got up, shook it off, and smiled slightly as she got into stance. This one was not to be underestimated.

_She's a strong one… I can feel it. But I have to win- if I lose even this one, I'm in trouble._

Once again, she rushed her, coming in with her right elbow with such speed and force that Asuka was forced to block the attack instead of counter again. However, she was sent stumbling backwards anyway- the hit didn't count, but her stance was broken. This would be painful…

* * *

Meanwhile, two men were beating the crap out of each other.

This wasn't uncommon, since it was a fighting tournament, but this was getting ridiculous. Bryan Fury and Bruce Irvin were going at it, and both were an even match in speed, power, and range. In other words, each had scored at least one or two points on each other, and the ferocity of their strikes was such that it was less of a spar and more of a war.

The fight attracted more people than any other- for the crowds, this was a taste of what the tournament would be like. They watched eagerly, looking to see who would hit who first… and cheered as Bruce landed a fierce low right kick, his shin slamming into Bryan's with crushing force before his left ankle followed suit, almost cracking his opponent's head open.

This was the reason why they wore protective gear… those strikes would've broken bones by now. In any event, Bruce had three, and Bryan had two. As the cybernetic soldier stumbled backwards from the sheer force of the kick, the mercenary took a few steps back, smirking at his adversary.

"You like that, chump? No one stands against those kinds of kicks for long. You might as well throw it in."

"I wouldn't talk…" Bryan said as he recovered and got into stance again. "…until it's over. By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish that you had never had legs in the first place. Or arms… or a beating heart, either!" With that, he rushed again, intent on breaking his face. Not one to disappoint the crowd when they were behind him, Bruce rushed as well, coming at him with a ducking knee launcher, sliding low and ducking right under whatever attack that Fury had planned.

And he had planned a high right front spin kick, just as he prepared for the attack- so the result was obvious. Bryan was sent into the air, and Bruce had won, 5-2. It was the first win of the entire day, and a hell of a fight. And there were many more to come…

* * *

Christie and Hwoarang were busy in a battle of footwork.

The last time the two of them met, she had beaten him soundly- her moves looked less like a fight and more like a dance. Her capoeira confused him, and when he tried to attack, she had an answer for every kick or punch he made. And she had a smile on her face, even as she did handstands and head spins while she was at it.

He hated the smug look on her face, as if she were having fun beating the tar out of him. This time, he would show her. He came at her with a one two combination, left first. Easy enough to block, but then he would come at her with his usual left heel kick, aiming to at least knock her back.

But as he did so, she slid under the punches smoothly, listening to the music in her headphones as she did so. Christie saw his knee lift and smiled sweetly. She knew that he had gotten faster- everyone had. And that included her, as she slid right under his kick and spread her arms upward, trapping said limb.

"What the…"

All she had to do was rise up again. Boom- he hit the floor. No, that didn't count, but it frustrated him to no end. He whipped his left leg around while he was on the ground, trying to trip her. Wrong again- she casually flipped over the kick with a back somersault and as she landed, she kicked out at him with her left leg, pushing him back down to the ground while he was getting up… and putting her into negativa, casually resting on the floor as if she were getting a tan.

Now, that counted. Two points for her.

"Tsk, tsk… no rhythm at all. You can't fight with me- you have to _dance_. It's the only way, y'know. But seeing as you didn't learn from last time… I'll have to teach you again."

"Teach this, bitch!" Hwoarang turned his back and lifted his left leg, intending to slam into her with a spinning axe kick, silencing her while she was down on the ground. That wouldn't work, either- frustration had gotten him in a bad spot. As he lifted the leg to its full height, she responded right in the middle of his attack, pulling his supporting leg out from under him with her own left leg in a rasteira.

Takedown and two more points, seeing as it was a leg move.

"Don't expect me to fall for that again…" he said as he got back up again. She was already on the move though, coming at him with a right armada, just to finish it off with a bang. However, he wizened up at this point, and slid under the spin kick, cutting his right leg up viciously at her chin. Connected, and she took flight. That was two for Hwoarang. However, she tucked her legs in while she was in the air, and flipped herself backwards, landing in a handstand. The game was still on.

That same bright smile was on her face as she kept him in eye contact, even as she was upside down. 'That's the way! Now, let's have some fun."

* * *

Steve was laying there on the ground, pretty much relaxing for a while.

Jin had beaten him handily enough- though they fought to a draw for a bit. Though he had head gear on, that last right side thrust kick really stung. Jin's reach with his kicks had won out in the end- he realized that if he stayed in close, he would have to go toe to toe with him, which Steve was much better at. It was a cheap trick, Jin knew… but in a fight, one used what worked.

Jin extended his hand to help him up, and Steve took it gratefully. "You're good… really good. I might have a few actual challenges if everyone is tenacious as you are, Kazama."

Jin nodded. That was the thing about this match- Jin wouldn't stop coming. He was the one who managed to keep the match scoreless- each had gotten four points- and the match would've gone on forever, had he not gotten the spacing for his last attack.

He continued parrying punch after punch, diverting each attack to the side smoothly. The flurry of punches came incredibly fast and from all directions, but Jin managed to defend himself properly. However, the karate practitioner saw an opening- Steve was getting tired of just poking at him and decided to go for a big move- after a short left hook to the head that was blocked; he swung at him with another left hook, followed by a left overhead hook.

On the second strike, Jin stepped to his left, lifted his right knee, and wham. That was the match… but back to the topic at hand.

"Thank you. I'm sure that there will be others. Your first loss, I presume?"

Steve nodded. "…Yeah. I'm in real trouble. If I lose another one, it's the end for me... I don't need for that to happen just yet." Jin nodded- he couldn't entirely lose either. He could accept one loss gracefully- but he had to reach the final round before anyone else- even him. That meant that any challengers that came to him would have to be cut down on the spot.

Suddenly, they heard a curse from nearby- someone had lost, and they weren't taking it so well…

* * *

"Dammit!"

That someone was Asuka.

Julia had gotten in a lucky shot- a quick left straight snuck past Asuka's defenses, and as soon as it hit, it was followed by a right body elbow that sent her crashing to the ground. The same effect was in place for the two of them as well- tied until the very end, with one strike to decide everything. And a lucky shot had won her the match.

"I consider that one lucky," she admitted to both herself and the young woman before her. "You kept me at bay pretty well. Don't worry- you keep fighting hard like that, and someone's going to fall next time. I want to fight you again… because next time, it won't be luck."

Asuka got up and nodded to Julia with a smile. "Yeah, you're right about that. I'll make sure to win this and move on- just so I can see the look on your face at how much stronger I am, the next time we meet."

As they bowed to each other, Jin approached. He heard just the end of the conversation- it was pretty evident who lost. Jin shrugged- one can't expect to win everything, especially if they're in their first tournament. Asuka caught his eye and she had a sad look in her eyes.

One… one loss and someone was in danger of going home. She couldn't leave- not yet. Not when her father was still in the hospital… not when she had just met Jin… not after all that training…

Jin only smiled, and her eyes brightened. No, she couldn't leave just yet. She had to stay, if only to see him smile like that again. She smiled at him as well, and made her way over to him.

"I lost…" she said, still a bit sullen.

He shrugged. "You expected too much of yourself. Just relax for now- you still have to win two. Just imagine that this loss never happened- you'll feel a lot better that way. Besides, I don't care if you win or lose, and you shouldn't either. You came in prepared and at your best- that's all that matters, right?"

She nodded at him and smiled again. Sure, there was her father to think about, but then again, all the training in the world couldn't fight fatigue, pain overload, or just sheer luck. She found herself liking Jin more and more. She just hoped that he liked himself a little more now that she had helped him out…

Because whether they liked it or not, they would be in this tournament for the next few days together, and it would be a shame if he moped around all the time.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Prelims 1 (To battle!)**

Well, that's just a slight look at what is to be expected for the next few chapters. I'll try to put as many points of view and battles in this as possible. Sorry for the delay- I've been playing T5 for a while and thinking of the best moves and matches.

Oh, and the capoeira moves are as follows-

_Armada _- The standard spin kick in capoeira. Back is turned to put force behind the attack, and the back leg whips around, hitting the opponent clean in the head.

_Rasteira _- A takedown that can be done from Negativa or Ginga (normal stance of capoeira). Left or right ankle hooks behind the legs of one's partner and pulls it out from under them. It is usually used to counter a kick.

_Cruz_ - Kick response. The practitioner slides cleanly under the attacker's leg, trapping it on their back with their arms. They then simply stand up, making the aggressor topple backwards. It's fun to watch, and a good way to make someone look silly.

Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys find this to your liking.

_Ja ne_.


	10. The Prelims 2

_The preliminaries were in full swing._

_The fights started to get a little rough, but that's what the protective gear was for. However, some people were starting to lose focus- the frustration of getting overwhelmed by some opponents and overpowered by others was starting to seep into the participants, and it was most likely that there would be a few eliminations soon. Some were even starting to tire out- matches were starting to become intense, and long, drawn-out fights eventually wore one down._

_By the time this day was over, ten people would be leaving, for sure.

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. I have an anti-lawyer cannon, so go away, you. The rest of you, read.

* * *

Hwoarang was sprawled on the floor, exhausted and angry. 

He had been beaten yet again by her capoeira, and it was maddening him how he couldn't even get a shot in, due to her evasive actions. The match had ended with a score of 3-6; with the tae kwon do ace landing only one body blow after her flurry of almost constant attacks had nearly missed him. Sure, he saw the low left heel kick coming… but she stopped it dead, ending up in negativa. From there… it was already over.

She rose up suddenly in an s-dobrado, her right leg slamming into his stomach and sending him flying as she casually spun on her head, then arched her legs forward and pushed her hands up, thus putting her back on her feet. As soon as she did so, she jumped off of her heels, threw her arms over her head, and let inertia take care of the rest as she went into a back flip, then a back somersault, and ended up on the mat again, going from negativa to laying on her side and casually lounging there as if it were no big deal.

The crowd surrounding the sparring mat exploded. What a way to finish.

"See? No rhythm, although you did have me for a bit back there. Not bad. Maybe if we see each other again, you'll be better at it."

She then got up, dusted herself off, and walked off to go looking for her next match, leaving Hwoarang to simply lie there and brood. This was not his day…

* * *

It was however, starting to look good for a certain Ling Xiaoyu. Her match against Lei Wulong had gotten to the point where he had to use some of his low kicks- he was surprisingly good at them, and they either cut like swords or bit at her like a snake. Thing was, while the detective was fast, she was far faster. 

He started the match by turning on the heel of his right foot and jumping off, twisting in the air and sending said same leg soaring in a horizontal kick that swept through the air, aiming for her torso and hoping to send her down. The kick ended up going nowhere as Ling knocked him out of the air with a simple left knife edge strike, moving her arms in a graceful half circle as she moved her left leg around, turning on the heel of her right foot until her back was turned.

That was one.

As soon as his back hit the ground, he sprung right back on his feet and came at her again, shifting his feet to get into position before coming at her with a flurry of punches- left first, then right, repeat one time before kicking low with the left leg. She had an answer for that as well- as soon as he came rushing at her, she suddenly leapt over his head in a layout, allowing him to pass right under her. As she landed, she put her right hand forward, her first two fingers in a victory sign.

"That was far too slow. You really have to do better than that… or are you really getting old after all this time?"

He turned around and quirked an eyebrow, smirking at her. She was awfully cheeky, but she did have a point about her speed. It looked like he would have to up the ante a bit. He stepped forward, quickly shifting his feet again and struck out with his left fist. She came at him again with the knife edge strike, only to have him narrowly avoid it… and settle into snake stance.

This was the part where it would get hard. The detective was now much faster, and much more precise with his strikes. And he lashed out with his right hand in a swift strike to her ribs, making her stumble to her side.

Score tied.

He calmly stayed in his form, waiting for her to regain herself. All the while, the same smirk on his face, he replied to her remark. "You said something about slow?"

She nodded towards him and got into stance. It was on now.

As soon as the ref pulled away, he came rushing at her, striking constantly with his left hand for a total of five times. With his speed, at least the second hit would come out at her, and the rest would follow. However, she wouldn't just sit there and take it- she rolled to her right side as he advanced, letting him pass the rest of the way. As she recovered with her back turned, she rolled towards him, and then hopped forward, landing with her right leg and kicking back with her left.

He turned back around to suddenly find her in front of him with her back turned, then found himself knocked backwards and onto the ground as she kicked him sharply in the stomach.

Score was now 3-1, Xiaoyu.

She said nothing this time- simply jumped right over his prone body in another layout and ended up looking straight at him as he got up. She was already in stance and waiting for him, her eyes narrowed slightly in a determined gaze. This was going her way, but she couldn't afford to make any more speeches until the end, she realized.

_Just a few more… I have to end this quickly before he starts getting serious. Five Form Style is no joke, and he's a master!_

Lei was about to show his mastery of said style. He figured that play time was officially over… so he made his way forward, shifting his feet again. Xiao was ready… or at least, she thought she was. She dove to her right as he came at her… and found herself on the receiving end of a right outside crescent kick, hitting her dead in the chest while she was in mid air. As she got knocked cleanly out of the air, he continued the movement. Left right left, then a right front snap kick before stepping to the side, ending up in crane stance.

Score tied again.

Ling got up, wincing in pain. That was one hell of a kick, and she now knew she was in trouble. One leg move could decide the entire match. This could be her loss, and she recognized that stance- it was for kicking efficiency. Xiao was probably done for now, but she had to try.

_Oh, just go for it! It's only one loss anyway- nothing to lose now!_

"Okay… **Here I come**!"

* * *

Kazuya was leaning against one of the walls, looking around for a decent challenge that he wouldn't tear through immediately. He knew that he was strong, that was for sure… he just hoped that there was someone just as powerful, if not stronger. He hadn't had a decent fight in ages. 

Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching. The Mishima heir closed his eyes, acting nonchalant. As the man approached, he spoke. "Need something?"

The man who approached was in his twenties, his hair slicked back and in a warrior's braid. Most definitely from China, he had a certain noble air about him, though the look in his eyes was full of cunning, as well as spite for the weak. And he looked at Kazuya appraisingly, as if he were studying something closely.

"Are you a Mishima?"

Kazuya continued to act indifferent. "What if I am?"

The man struck, sliding forward and thrusting his right fist straight for Kazuya's ribs. With his eyes still closed, he blocked the oncoming attack with his left hand, casually putting it in front of his fist at the last second and stopping it altogether.

"You must not like me… what's your name?"

The man now looked at him with an air of respect. That attack was one of his fastest. Perhaps this would be an intriguing match. "Feng Wei. I'm here to take the God Fist scrolls that your family stole back with me to China. This is your chance to tell me where they are, before I strike again."

Kazuya smirked. Whatever this man was talking about, he knew nothing of it. "Heh… you've got the wrong family member. I suggest you talk to my old man about that one- he's the one that taught me."

Feng's eyes widened. "Don't joke around with me… you mean that you know the Divine Fist?"

Kazuya opened his eyes and looked at him, getting weary of this interrogation. "Yeah, I do. Unless you want to be on the receiving end, I suggest you take your line of questioning somewhere else, before I get irritated." Feng grinned wildly. "Show me."

The Mishima smirked. He wanted a demonstration, did he? Well, he sure as hell would get one if he stuck around. Or… perhaps he was trying to provoke him in the first place. Kazuya played along. "Was that a challenge? If it was, you'd better commit to it. I don't like wasting my time."

Feng looked at him boldly. This was borderline disrespectful, but he would put up with it. "Yes, it was. Show me the power of the God Fist, and let's see what it's worth."

He walked toward the empty mat that was right in front of them, and started loosening up. Kazuya leaned forward from the wall and casually walked forward, still looking lazy and bored. But in all honesty, from the moment that first punch was thrown and countered, the fight was already on.

"Hmph… are you done? Let's get this over with."

Feng grinned at this. The Mishima was as anxious for battle as he himself was! This would be one for him to remember! "…As you wish! Come and fight me!"

* * *

Baek Doo San was casually walking around, looking appraisingly at various fights. He took note of strengths, weaknesses, weak sides, blind sides, mentally pointing out flaws in technique or concentration, and mentally scolding those who did not take advantage of them. It wasn't his place to speak on the styles of others- he had to work on himself. 

He noticed one young woman in particular who wore the traditional coat, hakama, and headband that was usually seen in aikido. A blue chest protector was worn, as well as other defensive gear. She had come prepared to take a hit or two, as well as bringing what seemed to be her own equipment instead of using those provided by the tournament.

He nodded towards her approvingly, though she didn't see. This would be a very proper match for him to have, or at least he thought so. Aikido, the way of harmony, was said to be both graceful and powerful- the attack patterns more in the way of a dance than a fighting style. Not only that, but the retaliatory and defensive aspect intrigued him. He wondered how well her counterattacks would fare against his kicks.

It wasn't long before he made up his mind and walked towards her, who was busy meditating while she waited for someone to challenge her. She would soon get one. He stood a few feet from her and called out. "Have you fought yet?"

Her eyes were still closed, but she answered. "Yeah, I have. I lost that one, too. One more and I'm out…" She opened her deep brown eyes and looked the man before her over. She seemed to be satisfied, because she got up from her knees and smiled at him. "If you're over here, I suppose that you want to give me another chance to win this thing, right?"

Baek nodded. "You use aikido, right?" The brunette nodded. "Good. I've heard certain things about the style- I'd like to see a practical application against my art." She grinned. This guy was not bad at all, as far as personality went. She just hoped that she wouldn't be overwhelmed like last time.

"All right, you've got yourself a fight. Don't hold anything back- I sure won't!"

* * *

Feng Wei was having a difficult time trying to keep up with this… Kazuya. The man was putting far too much pressure on him- he needed some space before he got hit again. And on top of that, he had not seen one move that would be considered a part of the Divine Fist style. He would recognize that art from anywhere. 

Perhaps he was holding back?

"What are you waiting for? Attack me with a technique! Do something other than those conventional moves of yours." Granted, Feng had already been decked twice, and he had delivered a swift retaliation on one of Kazuya's combinations, moving his hands gracefully to parry his opponent's strikes before stepping in and delivering a back fist to the gut.

Score was 2-1, Kazuya's favor, and Feng was getting frustrated. Why would he not use it? Was it that destructive that such skill could not be used until the tournament proper? No, it couldn't be. Nothing could stop his fists! "Fight me seriously, damn you!"

He rushed again, coming at him with a left right body blow combination, finishing by slamming his right shoulder towards his opponent. The Mishima heir blocked all three blows… and then it happened. He took one step forward and lay into him with his left fist, striking instantaneously, and with enough force to break two of his ribs… if it weren't for the protective gear. It hurt anyway, though.

Feng sprawled to the ground, gasping for air. That was it… the God Fist. There was no question about it now. The pain was excruciating, even with the equipment, but it was worth it. He had seen it in action, and now wanted that power more than ever. "Y-yes… that's good. That's what I was looking for. That kind of power… I will have it, no matter what!"

Kazuya smirked at him. "You're deluding yourself, you know. If enough force is applied, this style can kill. You want to waste your life on some fool quest, go ahead. But I'm not about to go get myself disqualified for killing you this early in the game. Wait your turn to die."

Feng stood up. He would not be denied a challenge! His side hurt like hell, but if he could stand, then dammit, he could fight! "I will not be denied!" Kazuya quirked an eyebrow… he actually got up from that? The pain that was garnered from that one punch should've been daunting. Essentially, if this were not a spar, he would be injured seriously.

"…Fine. Let's see what you can do with the pain in your side. Someone might want to restrain this guy once I walk away," he said to the ref as he got into stance. "I have a feeling he won't know when to quit."

Feng rushed forward, once again taking the offensive. He struck with a hard right fist; putting everything he had into it- his frustration, his pride, even the fresh pain that throbbed from his ribs. It wasn't enough, for as soon as he got within range, Kazuya jumped into the air, his left leg cutting downwards and hitting him clean in the forehead, the momentum from the attack helping to knock him to the mat, and hard.

Match over…

Kazuya casually walked off of the mat, not even regarding the cheering crowd. He was done here… showmanship was for the tournament proper. He didn't have time to spar, bur he had been forced into this one. All he had to do was find an actually… suitable challenge.

Feng stood up slowly, after the world stopped spinning. He had a cunning smile on his face as his opponent walked away, and the smile did not dissipate, even as he bowed to him, and then the referee.

_Such power… I must have it! Next time, I will win… Kazuya Mishima.

* * *

_

Lei sat on the mat, shaking his head slightly. Everything just wouldn't stop moving…

He had just been kicked, quite hard, by Ling Xiaoyu. As she rushed forward, he did the proper thing and lowered his raised left leg, striking out with his right instead, aiming for her ankle. With the speed of her approach, the result was obvious.

But apparently, one's reaction time depends on whether they can see the attack or not. And as soon as she saw him lower his left leg, Ling didn't take any chances. She jumped into the air and turned, her left leg turning with her in a horizontal arc. Not only did his kick slide right under her, but she decked him hard, sending him spinning through the air and onto the floor.

As she landed, she gave him the victory sign again. She knew that it was luck, that he used such an attack in the first place. While she was in the air, he could've used anything else to disable her. But hey, a win was a win!

"How'd you like that? Not too bad, huh?"

Lei got up after the room stopped spinning and nodded to her. "Yeah, not too bad. You saw me coming, even at that speed. That takes good eyes… you've gotten better, Ling." She scratched the back of her head, blushing a bit. "Yeah, you too. But you're always good. Sorry about that… y'know, old guy thing."

Lei smiled. "I'm glad that you actually believe me. When I say my actual age, no one ever does." He bowed to her as the crowd cheered them on, and she could only bow back. Yes, he was good… he'd be a problem later if she met him in the real thing.

She made a note to work on her form a little more, before she had the unfortunate experience of being knocked out…

* * *

Asuka was having quite a time with this one. 

His flurry of kicks had thrown her off once or twice, coming from all directions and from every angle. She found it hard to counter properly- this not only frustrated her, but it made her angry as well. Anger sharpened her focus…

_I can't lose again! I have to get that guy back for hurting my father!_

Her eyes narrowed in concentration as Baek approached again, coming at her with a high left roundhouse kick, and then a low left, finishing with a right body blow. She wasn't fooled this time. As soon as she went low to block the second kick, the third blow- which was supposed to hit her clean in the face- got parried. She then grabbed his arm, leading him further off balance by pulling said limb down and forcing one of his legs in the air. She grabbed said leg as she did so, turning him through the air. In the middle of the second circle, she let go of the captured leg and shifted her first arm to his shoulder, throwing him down to the ground.

Counter and point. Score is 4-1, and she's at a major disadvantage. The fact made her even angrier, and she was now totally committed to beating the pants off of this guy. As he got back up and she got into stance, Baek saw the determination in her eyes. He nodded to her and rushed again, coming at her with a left right combination, and pulled his left leg up, hopping backwards to keep himself in flamingo.

As she blocked both hits and watched him retreat, she slowly advanced forward. Whatever he had planned, she vowed not to fall for it. Finally making up her mind, seeing as he was going to be patient about it, she dashed forward, and that was when he responded. His left leg tore at her midsection, followed by a high right snap kick to the head, followed by an axe kick with same leg. He finished with a left heel kick, ending the flurry.

This was where things got interesting.

She stopped the string at the second kick, ducking under the attack and swinging her right arm at his supporting left leg with her fist closed, clipping him in the shin. Down he went. Score is 4-2.

Still in stance and waiting for him to get up, she didn't lose her focus, even for a second. She would watch his every move now, and if he made the slightest mistake, it was pretty much her chance to get him back down again, possibly keep him down.

He rose back up again, and came at her as soon as the ref gave the ok, hopping slightly into the air before laying into her with a flurry of left kicks- heel at chest level, then two hook kicks- one to the head and one to the chest again, before lowering said leg and turning on his heel, striking out with a right heel kick to the head for the finish.

She didn't fall for it. Left kicks were blocked, and the right kick was just plain ducked under, a natural reaction. Moving without thought, she lifted her right elbow straight upwards as she rose, slamming him straight in the chin. Score is 4-3. Asuka was not feeling confident yet- she was still very pissed at herself, mostly for letting the situation go this far. She would pick up the slack, starting now.

Now foiled twice, Baek decided that it was time to stop playing around. He hopped into the air again, making an attempt at the same move, and starting with the same left heel to left hook. Both were blocked. He expected that- but would she expect this? He switched feet on her, snapping up at her head with his right leg, and coming down in an axe kick with said same leg, before suddenly stopping there.

All four were blocked… but she showed her tenacity, staying on the defensive. The sudden stop had only made her more wary of him. And for good reason… he suddenly ducked and came at her with a fast right low heel kick, finishing this flurry of kicks.

_Thought so!_

The kick was expertly parried, before she thrust her left hand out in a spear strike from the waist, her left hand following in a palm shove that knocked him to the floor. Score was tied. Asuka got out of stance and waited for him to get up.

"You're not half bad, y'know. For a while, those kicks messed with my head. But this is where it stops, right here. I challenge you to one last attack for each of us- just one. No strings, no flurries, no parries. Got it? Show me your best move, and I'll show you mine."

As he rose, he nodded. "It sounds reasonable. One point could win anyway- I wouldn't want this to end simply by luck. Ready yourself, young one!" Baek slowly lifted his left leg into the air, turning on the ball of his foot to give him the best height and extra force. Not one to be outdone, Asuka began spinning towards him, turning clockwise.

One turns…

His leg was fully extended.

Two turns…

The full height had been reached.

Three turns, and she had gathered enough force to really hurt someone. Meanwhile, he hopped into the air and sharply brought his left leg downwards, the heel streaking towards her.

Whiff.

As soon as his foot hit the mat hard, he knew that it was finished. Asuka whipped her left leg around, her heel moving in an arc and dropping viciously toward his chest. It connected with such force that he was sent spinning through the air, landing hard on the sparring mat. Good thing it wasn't concrete or stone- he wouldn't just be hurting in one place.

Score is 6-4, Asuka.

The crowd exploded. It was such a fierce battle that they couldn't help but get into it. Besides, most of them had seen her loss to Julia earlier. Another close battle and she had lost that time- many wanted her to win this one, and were now behind her after that performance of skill in aikido. On top of that, such close calls and dramatic challenges were what made this tournament, and the surrounding crowds ate it up.

One in particular was watching intently, having just finished a fight of his own.

_That stance… those techniques… just like her. And just as dangerous- she saw his every move coming, once she was focused properly. Maybe I'll have my challenge after all._

As she walked away, Kazuya followed intent on having a showdown with Asuka.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jin was standing on a wall with his eyes closed. It was uncanny, how he acted like Kazuya at times. But he did so because he could relax, for the time being. No matter what happened now, he was secure. 

It had been easy enough to beat the next one in line- he was big and mostly a grappler. It was a bit irritating when he knocked him clean out of his attack patterns with his low right kick, which was faster than expected, but he had only gotten four points out of the whole deal.

For the rest of the match, he didn't get any more, as Jin began to put pressure on him, parrying everything he threw at him, and hopping into the air after a low kick, snapping his right leg upwards as he did so to catch him straight in the head.

His second score was when the Vale Tudo fighter, known as Craig Marduk, tried to go for some of his more interesting moves. He ducked low and charged forward, plowing his left shoulder into Jin's waiting defense, and afterwards, he got kicked away by a sharp right blade kick, scoring him another two points. Score tied.

Completely tired of him now, Craig decided to completely wipe Jin off of the map. He lowered himself quite low to the ground, and came up at him with a rising double hammer, strong enough to send him flying and win the match with style. Blocked, though it pushed Jin back a bit, but spacing was not a problem for him.

He lunged forward, striking out with his right arm and slamming his fist into the opponent's gut, winding Craig as well as knocking him to the floor.

He was secure and safe, but he couldn't help but wonder how Asuka was faring… he didn't necessarily want her to get kicked out at this point, but he didn't want to face her in the actual tournament, where she could easily be killed if he used his full strength. Sure, they were on par in all regards, but if he actually meant to, he could really hurt her, bad.

When he thought of that, and what was waiting at the end of this path, his protective instincts kicked in and he felt the need to get her and Xiaoyu as far away from all this as possible. He felt that he was the only one who could truly end this tournament, and destroy the one behind it all.

Suddenly, a roar exploded from somewhere in the crowd. A fight… and it seemed like a big one. Compelled to watch, seeing as he had nothing better to do, he walked towards the now growing crowd in the center of the tournament grounds to see what was going on.

He was not truly happy about what he saw. There, fighting on the sparring mat, were Kazuya Mishima and his Asuka. For a moment, he thought it strange that he referred to her as his… probably the Devil Gene reacting to her. There was no way that he could be that attached, even after that kiss on the mountainside earlier. And even if he did, he had not the time for it.

Sure, he liked her. She could read him perfectly- that, and the fact that she was honest, kind, liked to have fun- which he still didn't understand completely, though he used to enjoy himself as well- and had a strong sense of justice, like him. But he certainly didn't like her that much to call her his.

He wondered if she would laugh and call him silly for thinking such things. Then he shook it off and concentrated on the fight. He had no time for thoughts like those- he had a duty to fulfill. Besides, this was probably it for her… if she won, that was all good. If not… well, at least she would be safe. Hell, he would take care of the man who critically injured her father for her, but he didn't want her to risk her life any more than she had to.

In fact, he thought strongly about jumping into the fight to take his father on for her, but they were already locked in combat. He didn't want to disqualify anyone, though he could care less if Kazuya were kicked out. His concern was Asuka. This would be the ultimate test of her abilities… he himself knew how strong Kazuya was- though he had won, it had been a hellish fight.

_Hold together, Asuka…

* * *

_

Bryan was seething when he stood again.

Well, that had not gone as planned. He had not expected the mercenary to be so even and on par with him. And that was one loss- he couldn't afford another. So he began looking for the easy prey… he needed a win, no matter who he had to fight to get one. So he found a relatively safe fight against a woman who used a unique style of bone martial arts- the kind that assassins used.

Still, she didn't seem like much, though she had beaten a man who used a high-powered style that mixed judo with just plain old whoop ass. Paul had been soundly beaten, and it was a shame too- he wanted to demolish the runt himself. Oh well- no matter; she was his next fight, as well as decidedly his first victim.

"So… you're the next one? You don't seem all too promising… no one here does. But anything's better than that idiot."

She turned towards him, one hand on her hip and the other hanging lazily at her side. "Not only that, but you could use a change of wardrobe- not like I care any. I'm not one for sparring, so let's get this over with." He walked forward onto the mat and got into stance, grinning wolfishly. She would regret those words, soon enough.

They didn't bother bowing respectfully- people like them had no time or place for respecting an enemy. As soon as the ref brought his hands in, Bryan went straight for the attack, rushing forward with a right straight that came with such speed that Nina was genuinely surprised. She got decked hard, and was knocked to the mat.

Point for Bryan. He felt better already.

As she got back up, her eyes narrowed in a bit of frustration. Okay, so he was just as fast as she was. That didn't mean that she didn't have a few tricks as well. As soon as the ref called the fight to continue, she advanced toward him, sliding low before bringing her right hand sharply upwards in a backhand slap, intent on lifting him into the air with the force behind the attack.

He had a simple answer for it, and that was to parry the attack, guiding it to his right side as it came at him. He then gave her a hard left body blow while her momentum carried her along, hitting her in her side. Thing was, he did it four times, and so quickly that his left arm was a blur. He finished by knocking her to the ground with a right body shot, and simply laughing as she fell. Only the first hit counted… but she still had to recover.

Another point- he was starting to irritate her.

She got back up and decided to change tactics a bit. And not a moment too soon, for Bryan came at her again, his left elbow slamming straight toward her head. She slid backwards instead, making the elbow just miss her head, then brought her right hand up for a hard slap, then a backhand that was so hard that it turned him to his side.

Heck, it counted. One for Nina… and Bryan was appalled.

"This ain't a play fight, you little bitch! Quit slapping and hit, dammit!" He brought his left knee right at her with alarming speed, but the ref broke them up. She had a smug look on her face- oh, that did it for him. Anger would make him lose his focus if he didn't concentrate on the fight, and not the fact that he had just been pimp slapped, and quite hard at that.

He got back into stance, and as soon as the referee called for the fight to continue, he made it clear that he wasn't about to take that crap lying down… however, he only got halfway to her before lifting his right knee quite quickly, forcing her to block. Her stance was broken, but he did nothing but lean forward, tapping his chin with one of his fists.

"I dare you to do that again. Come on, it's a free hit… you do what you need to, right? Or can you actually do it?"

She was starting to really hate this guy. She suddenly launched into the air, snapping her right leg up as she did so, to wipe that silly grin off of his face. She didn't get far before he suddenly hit her as she advanced with a right left body combination, followed by a right knee that made her stumble to the ground.

Score is 3-1. Nina lost it right then and there.

"Go to hell, you psychopathic freak!"

"You first… weakling."

That did it. The ref barely called the match to begin when Nina rushed at him, tearing into him with a flurry of quick, merciless strikes, one after the other, before kicking out twice with her left leg- once high and once low, and then coming at him with a right backhand, followed by two more jabs and finishing with a right spin kick. In all, it was a total of ten hits. If he missed a block on even one strike, that would be a point, maybe two.

She didn't get anything from him. His defense had been rock solid, even going so far as to avoid the low kick, lifting his right knee to let the attack slip under the leg before blocking the rest of them. However on the final right spin kick, he made one slight change…

He ducked low, letting the kick pass right over him, and then while her leg was still in the air, he rose up and lifted his left knee, immediately followed by his right. The attacks smashed into her with such force that she couldn't breathe for quite a while. Down, and the match was over.

"Like I said…" he bent down and whispered to her as the surrounding audience cheered. "This ain't a play fight, sparring or not. For your sake, I hope you get eliminated here… because next time you might die. Not like I care any."

Then he walked away, leaving her to curse Bryan Fury, and anxiously wait for the time where she could turn the tables and kill him instead.

_Just another one on the list… Anna.

* * *

_

Earlier that day, Asuka had been stretching out after her last match against Baek. He really pushed her hard, and his various leg moves had gotten her confused completely. But at least she could relax now. The frustration of losing a match had been replaced with the elation of winning. Not only that, but she could feel the crowd's support as they cheered her on once she won the fight.

Still, this was not the time to dwell on the last battle. It was time to look toward the next one. However, she sensed someone come up behind her, and without turning around, she asked the man what he wanted.

For some strange reason, he laughed softly. "You even have the same ability as she does. Reading a person before they even approached- feeling an attack come before it is even executed. Exactly the same…"

She turned… and saw Kazuya Mishima in front of her. And all at once, she was scared, angry, respectful, and wary all at the same time. This one sole man was responsible for everything that Jin was going through right now… but she knew perfectly well that it wasn't the whole story. There had to be a reason- everything had one. She had to think right now instead of feel.

"I'm not all that great. And I presume that you're Jin's father? I have to say, I've never heard of you." Kazuya shrugged- she wasn't supposed to hear of him. He had died once, after all, and Jun probably didn't even know of it. Or she had, and didn't tell anyone. Either way, it was done and done.

"I'm not surprised. How do you know about Jin, anyway?" She now looked at him with a prideful look in her eyes. "He's a cousin of mine. We hadn't met each other until a few months ago. What's it to you?"

Puzzled, Kazuya quirked an eyebrow at this. "You're a Kazama? Hmm…" He looked at her appraisingly, as if deciding what to do with her. After a while, he scoffed. "Someone lied to you when they told you that."

Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't scared of him anymore after that. "Take… that… back."

He raised his hands in mock defense. "Hey, it's true. If you're a cousin, you should at least look like your aunt, right? Well, I know Jun better than anyone. You certainly don't look anything like her… I suggest you check your facts. Mostly, the Kazama clan has black hair… jet black. The kind that shines in the moonlight and turns almost sliver- that kind of black. Yours is different- much different. Everything about you is different, save for two things…"

"Enough! You, me, fight… now." She pointed towards one of the empty sparring mats, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I won't stand for this- I'm proud of my family, and my heritage. If anyone says or does anything against them, then they'll answer to me."

He shrugged. The comment was directed to her… but he could see her point. If he said she wasn't a Kazama, then it was saying something indirectly about all of them. He knew this perfectly well… but it was true as well. If he needed to beat it into her, then fine. But she would stop trying to be something she was not, even if he had to force her to see it.

"…Fine. You'll see for yourself, sooner or later."

The two of them got into stance, and a nearby crowd gathered as soon as they saw them get ready. Few recognized Kazuya, and the word spread. The word also got out that Asuka was fighting, and the fans that she had gained from her last fight gathered there as well. So then, by the time the match began, there was quite a group of people gathered.

"Your ass is mine for dishonoring my family… get ready, Kazuya!"

He smirked. She was definitely full of fire and spirit- just at the wrong thing. Oh, well… it would at least be an interesting battle. He got into stance, said same smirk on his face. "That's fine. Show me the power of the Kazama-Ryu… I haven't seen it in such a long time that I've forgotten."

She took this as a cue to advance and ran at him, leaping into the air and snapping her left leg out at his head as she did so. Faster than he anticipated, he barely dodged the move and had to retreat for a bit as she regained herself. The two of them circled each other warily, looking for holes in each other's stance.

Asuka finally decided to move forward, dashing towards him and coming at him with a leaping right spin kick that came at an odd angle. As she advanced, he ducked low, sliding his left leg forward, trying to knock her down in the process. As it turns out, Asuka nailed him just as his kick slid under her attack, her leg coming at a diagonal upwards angle instead of just horizontally, sending him spinning through the air and to the ground.

Two points for Asuka. She felt a lot better, but it wasn't over yet.

"Not bad… you're just as strong, too. But it doesn't change the fact that you're not a Kazama. Like I was going to say," he remarked as he got up. "There are only two similarities between you and she… the first one is your technique."

"That much sure as hell is true. What's the second?" She asked as she got into stance. He must really have a thing for pain… He gladly answered, and his answer confused her to no end. "The second is your gift. It's the power in your blood. Don't tell me that you've never felt it…" She lowered her stance, completely thrown off guard. "What? What're you-"

The ref called the match to continue, and Kazuya advanced with the speed of… well, a demon. He slid low, coming at her with a low right sweep. She sensed his intent to attack, but took note of how damned fast he was. She barely had time to back flip, the kick just missing her before following with another one, and another near miss.

However, the left hook that he rose up with on a third revolution did not miss, and hit her dead on, knocking her to the side and to the ground. Score is 2-1, Asuka… but with Kazuya's speed and power, that could change. "Yeah," she said as she got up again. "You're pretty strong, I'll grant you that. But I'm still going to win. I have business to tend to."

Kazuya knew almost instinctively about that one. He had read up on events now and then- not that he cared, just that he could use the information sometime later. "Oh, you mean the man who's been trashing training halls? I heard he hit your father pretty hard… Sorry, I meant your adoptive father."

She was angry again. "Would you stop that?" She rushed again, coming at him with her trademark right uppercut. However at the same time, Kazuya slid low, quickly rising with a right uppercut of his own. One of them would hit, sooner or later… however, neither of them would. Asuka felt the attack coming again, and halted the attack as he swung at her. Seeing as the rising uppercut was high, he missed her completely.

However, his reaction time was quite fast, and he responded with a right splits kick, his heel coming straight down at her. She had an answer for that as well, as her right fist swung out at his left leg, knocking it out from under him and flooring him again. Score was 3-1, Asuka. Kazuya simply got back up again, and attacked once more, this time coming at her with the same move that he used to pound into Feng Wei, stepping forward and slamming into her with his left fist.

The fight was getting to the point where the referee couldn't stop it… so he simply kept score, not even breaking them up for a second- he could get decked as well.

Asuka blocked the oncoming attack, and struck with one of her own- she quickly turned her back and whipped around, making an attempt to hit him with her left fist. Bad move- he wasn't finished yet, and with another step forward, thrust his right fist towards her, slamming into her side as she turned.

Down she goes. Score is 3-2…

Kazuya relaxed a bit, but was still in stance. "You've never questioned once… never looked in the mirror and wondered why you look different? Didn't that seem strange, when you looked at your father and noticed that he didn't look the same as you did?"

Now that was unfair. She had quite a time getting up, and now he comes out with this again? "You're lying to me! You have to be! If this were true, someone would've told me by now! It would've weighed so heavily on him that… he would've told me…"

She started to wonder… then, she shook her head. It couldn't be. Not true. Not true. "It's not true! He _is_ my father!" She stands up again, back on the warpath. As she charged yet again, he smirked. This would end pretty soon if she kept doing that. As soon as she got within range, he slid low and suddenly flew at her, his left leg extended in a blade kick

However, she saw him duck, saw him rise, and responded, coming at him with her reverse right sweep, cutting across the ground like a sword. But the fact was that none of the attacks hit- he went over, she went under. As Kazuya landed, he looked over his shoulder, impressed. Such reaction time at that distance… she was a master.

Still angry, she ran towards him again, closing the distance with a no-hands cartwheel and deliberately stopping just in front of him to attack with a quick right knee to the chest. He blocked it, and came at her with a left roundhouse kick, followed by a left hook to the head, a right kick to her shin, and a left body hook.

He had ungodly speed… but a determined Asuka was hard to beat. She blocked the kick and the first hook, and then parried the low kick, quickly turning it to the side before slamming into him with her right palm at point-blank range.

Kazuya took a quick trip to a location three feet away from her. Score is 4-2…

He got back up without anything to say, and came at her again. Now officially determined to wipe the floor with her, he jumped into the air and flipped forward, his legs striking out at her. She sidestepped the attack, and tried to cut out at him with the reverse sweep when he hit the ground. He managed to roll away, and the attack missed, though barely.

He simply wouldn't stop coming as he continued his advance, leaping into the air and going into a right spin kick that she managed to block, but it made her turn to her side… and from there, she got her legs kicked out from under her by the following right sweep.

Score is tied.

Kazuya backed away with a smirk. He pretty much knew that it was going to end, one way or the other. With how good she was, as well as the hidden strength she knew nothing about, it would've come to this. But this would be where thing got interesting.

"You're better than I had imagined. Usually, it takes me longer to kick someone's ass."

She got back up and got back into stance, looking at her situation calmly for once. Apparently, he knew something that she didn't, and was using it to distract her. She would have to think about it later- right now, she had to concentrate all of her efforts to beating Kazuya. He was strong, as well as fast… it would be difficult to keep up for long.

She had to interrupt his flow and control it- otherwise, she would be overwhelmed with attacks, and she knew that she couldn't block everything. After all, one missed block and she was done for…

She had no more time to think as the demon rushed forward again, coming at her with a left splits kick, which she had just enough time to block before countering with a left jab to a right uppercut. Both blocked, and then countered with two lefts, and a hard right straight. Block, block, and block again; turn and kick out with the right leg, aiming for his shin, followed by a left jab, then right palm strike, left, turn and left again, and ending with a double lift kick, starting with the right leg.

Kazuya moved with a speed that was surreal, and blocked everything, including the first low right kick, simply letting the second pass over his head. Then the coup de grace when she landed- a hard right hook to her side, one that would surely end the match.

Not one hit sounded, but two.

Asuka, tired of his antics, had just decided to deck him one, straight on. So she slammed her right fist down towards his forehead in an overhead hook, at the same time he struck with his attack. In effect, they hit each other, right on cue. The crowd went insane- each one had five points. This was the shout that drew Jin to the action, as well as many other people.

Both Kazuya and Asuka smiled, both getting worn out by each others merciless attack patterns.

"This is going nowhere…"

Asuka nodded. "I agree. But it can't end until someone does something to the other without… well, this happening."

Kazuya nodded. He actually had respect for this one- he had been looking for a good fight, and regardless of what happened now, he got his wish. He decided to give her a true test of her abilities. As they both stood up, he spoke. "I have one last attack- one that no one, save for one person has been able to counter. I admit defeat if you can use the attack against me."

She nodded. Whatever this attack was, it had better be something good- very good indeed. The same challenge was made to her last time, and if anything could top that then she would be in for a world of pain when the tournament came. She knew it, somehow.

"Okay, give me what you got."

The two of them stood back in the center of the mat and bowed to each other, for once. "Honestly…" she said as she prepared herself. "How do you know all this, anyway? …About my family and all that?" He looked at her with an intense gaze. "I thought you didn't believe me?" She nodded. "I don't… I just want to know."

He smirked. "I see. That's best left for another time, though… we're taking too long." With that, he rushed, ducking low and leaping up at her with a vicious left uppercut- one that had quite a speed and a force behind it. This move was the bane of many who were unfortunate enough to be hit by it- few could counter, and only one could reverse.

…Until now.

Asuka caught his punch- it was much faster than she had expected, and that was saying something. She already believed him faster than any normal human she had ever seen, and twice as powerful. But purely on reaction and instinct, she caught the punch, allowed him to rise up a bit higher, and arched her back as he did so, carrying him along with her. The crowd almost tore the building apart with their yell as Kazuya slammed into the ground, and Asuka lay on the mat, tired beyond all belief.

Score is 6-5, Asuka. And what a fight it was. But as she lay there, her mind retraced his words… she still didn't believe him, even now. However… she could feel something… something that oddly made sense to her. Something about his words and how he knew the subject so well.

She slowly got up, and the cheers of the crowd came back to her. She grinned broadly- she was safe. She was in. She walked towards the throng, through it, and when she emerged on the other side, there was Jin, smiling at her. "So, that's two?"

She walked toward him and hugged him tight. "Yeah… that's two."

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Prelims 2 (Truth and Consequences)**

Well, I did say that I would explain, no?

Okay, here's the deal on the eliminations, which will be posted in the beginning of next chapter. There are definitely a whole bunch of people fighting in this thing- thirty in total. All want the spot, and two are already in- Jin and Asuka. Now then, here's the question…

Who would you like to see in the next round? Yes, this is the end of the preliminaries. I couldn't put everyone in, mind you… I honestly don't have the capacity for it right now, without putting in a whole bunch of fill-ins that will detract from the story. I wanted to keep the fights simple, and stick to the script I had in my head.

So I leave it up to you all. Give me a list of the ten people that you would like eradicated in your review. Those who get three votes will be kicked out, and there will be room for only ten. If your character makes it through the filter, then don't worry- you'll get the opportunity to see them _unconscious_ instead of simply walking away!

_Ja ne_.


	11. Interlude 1

"…_Moshi-moshi, Asuka-chan wa hanashidesu… aa? Oto-san! Daijobu ka? …Demo, anata wa… un… wakatta. Ja ne."_

_She turned to Jin with a worried expression as she put her cell away. "It's my dad… he's awake. I have to go check on him. Would you drive me over, if that's okay?" Jin nodded. They had both been allowed access to the tournament proper, so they were allowed to leave. Besides, he had to head for home anyway- training and all that. Though he was concerned about Asuka's current state…_

_He had heard about how her father had been hospitalized by a fighter from China, who was supposed to end up in the tournament. He had not seen anyone from China, save for Ling and Lei, so it posed a problem at the moment. However, it didn't really matter now, as long as Asuka's father was all right. Still, on the way to the hospital, he noticed that she was in a pensive state… as if she were mulling something around in her head._

"_Are you all right? You seem troubled about something." She looked at him and smiled. "I'll tell you about it later… don't worry about it for now. Let's just get there so I can see my father."

* * *

_

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

Phew, that was hard. Doing romanji is a tough business… I only hope I got it right. In any case, while the voting is going on, I decided to write this little incept in between the prelims and the q-finals. Hope you guys like it. Oh, and keep those polls ticking. I need more emanations!

Translation comes at the end of the fic.

**Disclaimer:** Um… yeah, this isn't mine. Sorry.

* * *

She walked towards the receptionist's desk and asked for her father's room number. They stated that he was still in the ICU, but she could visit if she wanted. She nodded and walked in the direction that she was pointed in. Jin, in the meantime, was outside, waiting in the car.

In his exact words- "It's not my place to go in there. Besides, I'm sure that you guys have a lot of catching up to do. Please, go in without me. I'll be right here when you get back."

She nodded and headed inside. About half an hour later, after constantly getting the wrong room, she finally arrived. Seeing her father in such a state almost made her collapse to the floor. She almost couldn't take the stress- but she walked forward hesitantly anyway.

His black hair was as it always was- deep and with a natural sheen, with a few strands of grey here and there. His mustache was his most handsome feature, or so Asuka thought. But right now, his deep, searching brown eyes seemed to look straight through her- as if he could see everything that had been happening to her in the past few months.

"F… father? I'm here, like you asked…"

He mustered a smile, genuinely glad that she was all right. "Hello, Asuka… my Asuka-chan. I'm sorry you have to see me like this. This is not exactly the way I expected things to turn out… The man who fought us was overwhelming…"

She shushed him. "It's gonna be fine now. You'll be all right. Don't worry about him- I'll take care of him for you. Have they been taking care of you?" He nodded. "The staff has been wonderful. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was at home, in my own bed."

Asuka smiled, tears threatening to spill over. He took everything in stride like this- he was so much stronger than she was in spirit, and she knew it. "Good. I wouldn't want to have to make trouble for anyone… and you know I would, in a heartbeat."

Asuka's father chuckled deeply, closing his eyes again. He motioned for her to come closer, and as she did so, he asked her a question- one that surprised her. "Now then… will you tell me what's wrong? You've had this odd look in your eyes since you walked into the room."

She genuinely tried to answer his question in the lightest way possible… but found that she couldn't. So she came right out and said it. "Someone told me that… that I wasn't a Kazama. That I didn't look like my own family… I don't see why someone would say that! I just don't see why anyone would be so cruel, and dishonor you like that!"

He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that she was indeed crying. He sighed to himself- she would not like this news any more than what this person said, but she had the right to know. "You want to know if it's true, don't you?"

She looked up at him and nodded slowly. "Yes… I didn't believe him at first, but…"

He nodded to himself. She would've questioned it, sooner or later. "I have a lot to tell you, then. I believed that you would notice, sooner or later, that you were different in some way…"

She was in shock. It was true? Then that meant that… "What? I don't understand-"

"…And I am about to explain. Listen carefully."

* * *

Jin lay asleep in the car, listening to his headphones. He wondered when Asuka was going to resurface from the hospital… he had to get ready for the next phase of the tournament, as did she. But still, something within him wanted to be here when she returned. He felt that this was important for both of them…

The Devil within him was getting restless as well. Asuka had the odd effect of keeping that side of him in check, and now that she was away… it stirred. Jin shifted in his sleep, unconsciously trying to restrain himself. But the blood had become stronger- he didn't know how long he could fight it this time.

_Asuka… please…

* * *

_

"No one knows who your real parents are, or if you even have any," he said as he began recounting the events. "You were simply at the door one day- just an infant. I couldn't just leave you there, so I brought you inside. I had looked everywhere for your real parents- any clue I could find, any trace or link. In the end, there was nothing."

Asuka's eyes were full of shock and sadness. Kazuya's words came flooding back to her…

_If you're a cousin, you should at least look something like your aunt, right?_

_You've never questioned once… never looked in the mirror and wondered why you look different?_

_I know Jun better than anyone…_

She closed her ears, as if to ward off the voices in her head. She didn't want to hear anymore of him- she didn't know everything, but neither did he. He had no proof… Asuka's father looked at her and asked if she was all right. She opened her eyes again, and noticed that it looked like she was ignoring him entirely.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine… please, keep going."

He closed his eyes again and picked up from where he left off. "I wanted to put you up for adoption- I couldn't think of anything else to do at the time. At least you deserved to be with someone who could take care of you properly. But then, I began to notice something… and the longer we were with each other back then, the more I understood it."

Asuka was now intrigued. This may explain a few things… she leaned in and listened intently, not saying anything until he was finished.

"You have a gift, Asuka… I can't say what it is, even now, but you have a powerful spirit because of it. If you were not raised properly, I feared that this power would be used for ill. So I took you in. I even had someone teach you the basics of the family aikido, once you were at the proper age. You learned at an amazing speed, and had a talent for it. I remember the bright look in your eyes- you always wanted to know more," he said with a fond smile.

She closed her eyes as a picture formed in her mind. Yes, she wanted to know everything back then, just like now. Everything was starting to come together for her, and her shock turned to acceptance. This explained everything- the training, the fighting, and the sheer, unfathomed power that she had felt when she sparred with Jin… everything.

He finally continued. "Over time, I decided to teach you myself… and that's when something awakened. Once you started getting into the entire theory about harnessing your energy and focusing your spirit, you became even stronger. By the time you had turned sixteen, you were an outright master. I was so proud."

She smiled gracefully at him. She could still see the look of pride in his eyes, even now. Tears began to well up again- she had to hold them back, just for a little longer. "You've come so far… done so much… and now you have to hear all this. I'm sorry for everything."

She shook her head. It wasn't his fault at all. "No, it's all right. You did what you thought was right. Besides, you raised me… you took care of me… you taught me… If that doesn't make you my father, then I don't know what does. But… where do I go from here?"

He smiled. "Anywhere your heart takes you. You have to make your own choices and decisions now- don't let this stand in your way. Go and do whatever it is you want to. I'm still behind you, even now." She knew exactly what she wanted, and hearing her father- well, he wasn't exactly her father, but who's keeping score- say such a thing took a burden off of her back. She held him close and kissed his cheek.

"You don't have to tell me twice… thank you for everything."

* * *

Jin struggled throughout the dream he was having. Everything burned- it was so damned hot. Why was everything on fire again? He couldn't understand… then, the scene became clearer… his house…. his mother's house.

It was that night.

His eyes widened in shock- what was this all about? Who was responsible this time? Someone was making him relive all of it, everything. Then, he saw them- two black wings spreading amidst the flames, as if an angel of death had come to collect. And it was someone who looked just like him. He knew this scene very well.

"Can't you let me rest? I've had enough of you!"

"You have forgotten… haven't you? The one who did this to us… both of them… they must die. Have you forgotten your mission?"

Jin's eyes widened. Images flashed through his head, making him reel in pain... of Heihachi, shooting him in the forehead; Kazuya's voice echoing within his mind, and then seeing him before his eyes, wanting so much to kill him, but not being able to. Ogre… he could feel him, somewhere. He was still alive, the one that killed his mother… Yes, they still had to die, all of them.

"I have… not forgotten."

The Devil smirked. "Good. That's good, then. Perhaps you and I could be partners in this… I am your destiny, after all." Jin's eyes narrowed. He still didn't trust him… the Devil within him was known to be one of trickery and deception. Jin knew that he would do anything to be reborn through him.

The demon could sense this, and walked forward before Jin could have a chance to do anything else on the matter. Suddenly, he was stopped cold by another force- something entirely different altogether... something that was his opposite. It was as if a circle of protection were around him suddenly…

"No… **NO**! Dammit, who is it this time? Jun's memory was erased, the moment that you did not kill Heihachi! What is the meaning of this?" He took a moment to think, then suddenly came to the startling conclusion… and yet, he smiled cunningly. "That bitch… she has it as well… and she now knows how to use it… very well, then. You've been spared again, Kazama."

He dissipated in a flurry of feathers, and the flames died down, finally. Jin collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the strain of holding the Devil Gene at bay…

* * *

And when he woke up, she was there.

Earlier, Asuka was walking back through the halls of the hospital, her resolve to find who put her adoptive father in the hospital strengthened. The only thing was that hoping that she could find her way back out again. But as she was navigating her way through the maze of hallways, she felt it. Something bad was happening somewhere… she didn't know what exactly, but it was a strong presence, and destructive as well.

She knew that sheer destruction from anywhere…

_Jin! No! _

Suddenly, she knew exactly where it was. Her body reacted without thought, moving down just the right hallways, at the right turns, as if she had known the layout of the building beforehand. When she reached the final stretch, she broke out into a run, apologizing as she went along. As she reached the car, she threw open the driver's side door and knelt before Jin, who was having one hell of a nightmare, or so it seemed.

As she placed her hands on his shoulders, she decided to do something very risky… something that may very well get her killed, right now. She stretched her energy out to his, and all at once, she saw what was happening in the dream. Jin was about to give himself over to that… that thing, and somehow, she knew that he was being tricked into it.

She had thought this demon cute; wanted to be friends? What a wake-up call…

_I've been fooled._

She was angry at this, and anger gave her strength.

_No more! I'm not letting you out again!_

She had to find something- anything that could help. She searched his mind, just to the point where she couldn't be detected, and found a thread of power. It was something similar- something that was weaker now than it used to be, but it was exactly the same as hers. Well then, it was time to wake this other side up again and put it back into the fight.

She began feeding him her power directly, and all at once, as the darker half of Jin advanced, he was stopped. A circle of protection that covered a three foot radius surrounded him. She almost laughed as the demon was cursing everything he could, and then smirked cunningly as he found out that she was behind it.

_That's right- go away. This is what you get for messing with those I care about._

However, as she lost her focus, she found herself entirely drained, and almost collapsed on top of Jin… if he hadn't caught her by the shoulders. A tired, yet grateful smile was on his face as well.

"You used it… how did you learn so fast?"

She smiled back. "I don't know… I just felt that you were in trouble, and it came out by itself. I guess I have a knack for these kinds of things. But what really sucks is the fact that I'm really wasted now… I could use some sleep."

Jin nodded and carried her over to the passenger seat before closing his door and starting the engine. With a somehow satisfied sigh, she spoke her last few words before becoming too tired to even speak. "Jin… I have something to tell you…"

Jin shook his head. "Save it. We could both use some sleep right about now… I'll hear you out when we get back to my house."

Not even having the strength to answer, Asuka only nodded, and fell asleep in the seat.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Interlude 1 (Bedside Confessions)**

Yeah, you heard me, interlude number one. There are a few more of these in store that will happen outside of the tournament, in-between the stages. That means that the next one will be after the Q-Finals. This one goes out to Phoenix the Eternal- you're my unofficial super hero, dude.

And it's also dedicated to those who said that this pairing wouldn't work entirely- happy now? It's not called an Alternate Universe for no reason, y'know, so read this and be somewhat satisfied.

One more thing- Keep voting! The next stage will not commence until I get rid of ten people, and you all get to decide who stays and who goes!

* * *

Translation from the opening:

"Hello, Asuka speaking… huh? Dad! Are you all right? (Father speaking) …But, you're… (Father speaking) yeah… (Father speaking)…understood. See you later."

That's the gist of it. I hope it's correct.

_Ja ne_.


	12. The Q Finals 1

_It was over._

_It had been a long and trying day, with a lot of close shaves and near-misses, but it was finally over. Ten were disappointed… very much so. They didn't really have to leave the grounds, but the fact was that they could no longer be in direct tournament participation. Some were shocked at the news that a few of their favorites had been knocked from the roster…_

_Steve Fox was irritated. He had lost his opportunity to destroy the Zaibatsu, but he had others to do it for him. The detective would see the rest through to the end- or so he hoped. The competition was tougher than he expected- he wasn't so confident this time._

_Craig was in a rage. He had been bested again, by the luchador, King. The man was faster, stronger, and more devastating than ever, but it wasn't enough. It never seemed to be enough. He simply walked out of the building and went somewhere to get wasted, hoping to wipe this loss from his mind._

_In what was known as a prime opportunity to both fighters, Bryan Fury and Yoshimitsu faced each other in one of the matches. Needless to say, Yoshi overwhelmed his opponent, fueled by vengeance for his fallen comrades. Not even Bryan's power generator was enough for the deceptive leader of the Manji clan, and though he put up a desperate effort, he got floored._

_But even the mighty ninja was caught unawares by an incredibly fast-paced match with Julia, who seemed to be able to throw a punch or kick in between every move he made, completely overwhelming him. But he didn't care about the tournament, anyway- he still had a task to finish. His fellow clansmen had been slain, and blood cried for blood._

_The two of them would definitely be seeing each other again…_

_Lee was not that happy, either. His chance at revenge was shot down early, and he didn't even get to fight Kazuya- he was already irritated when he heard that his rival had already advanced, and for the rest of the day, his concentration was off. The one who finally put him down was a fully alert Hwoarang, ready for anything that the Silver Stallion threw at him, after that battle with Christie._

_Someday, he would take what was his…_

_Meanwhile, those at G-Corp. were satisfied. Though their latest Jack model had lost, they had collected some excellent data on his capabilities. He seemed intelligent enough to know when to hold his fire and when to take aim, and the systems were in full swing. Congratulating Jane on a job well-done, they got to work on a full production line as soon as they could._

_Jane had a warm smile on her face. He had done all that he could; that was enough for her._

_Even with all his sumo experience, Ganryu couldn't advance. The sheer ferocity of the competitors this time around was all too much- he could break through brick walls and bend steel, but when it came to those who moved as fluently as water, he could not do much. It looked like he would have to go for that retirement in Hawaii after all._

_Xiaoyu was a bit saddened at the loss of Panda, but told her pet to cheer up. She would win for the both of them, and everything would be back to the way it was before all this mess started. In any event, she sent her to some people that she knew who would take care of her until she was done with her business._

_Kuma got utterly wasted. It seemed that no matter what he did, he simply seemed to get torn into by the one man who always stood in his way. Certainly, he had beaten him in the last tournament, but this time he was… stronger, somehow. Fiercer… more determined. Every attack that was thrown at him was expertly dodged, parried, or simply outmatched, and though the monstrous bear had gotten in a few shots, the end result was daunting._

_If he had a last thought before being tranquilized and carried out by animal control, after flying into an utter rage at his loss, it was… "Master…"_

_And then there was Roger Jr. He had been looking for the last known whereabouts of his father, and thus entered the tournament to find him. However, in an old school match up between two who mostly used their fists, Steve had eliminated him handily, just before he was taken down in the next match he had. He and his mother had to be carted out as well along with Kuma, but for other reasons. Panda seemed well-behaved enough, so they didn't bother with her._

_Those ten were leaving. And in two weeks' time, many more would be leaving… unconscious or heavily bruised._

**_Kanto The Slayer_** presents a _Tekken_ song fiction…

_**Caught Up!**_

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Those are the ten people you chose to get chomped, stomped, and dropped on their heads and out of the tournament. And it's not even started yet; the next round is about to begin!

Now, on the topic of the reviews… You made some good points, kind sir. First, here's the deal with the OOC-ness… you hit it right on the head. Jin had indeed been angst-ridden and such. I didn't much like it- I wanted him to have something to live for this time around. What better opportunity is there than to have a love enter his life?

I'm not even going to comment on the Angel Gene… save for one thing. If you can somehow explain to me how Jin got those feathery wings of his, I certainly will accept defeat. That, and certain facts in Tekken 4, during Kazuya's pre-Jin fight scene; you know the one.

In any case, here we go.

**Disclaimer:** Before I forget this one, none of these people are mine. Now go away lawyer person, before you become incinerated. (Brandishes a flame thrower)

During the two-week stretch, Asuka and Jin had been recovering.

As they awakened on their first day back at Shinjuku, Jin felt compelled to ask about what her father had spoken to her about. But as she relayed the story, he began to become worried... She was taking the news of her being adopted far too well for his tastes- he would be shocked if it were him.

She nodded. "I was at first. But then, I thought about what might have been, and I accepted it, soon enough. I feel… kinda at peace now, you know? Well, not like I wasn't before, but I felt as if a weight had been lifted from me when I was told all that."

"Is that so?" Jin asked. "And what weight would that be?" Asuka blushed and smiled. "Well… when you look at it, we're kinda related. Well, not entirely, but…" Jin didn't quite understand. Should that matter at all? Then, he thought about what had happened between them just recently, and he understood why she was so worried.

She looked at him, a bit surprised. "You're not surprised at that in the slightest?" He shook his head with a smile. "I think I knew all along. You have the same power that my mother did. Of course, I can't feel it in me anymore… but you've got it." She was a bit angry. "You knew? And you didn't tell me once?"

Jin looked at her, a bit hurt. "Tell me then, would you have believed me or taken me seriously? I think not. In fact, I suspect that you would've gotten angry, right?" She blushed a bit. He had hit his mark perfectly, and it was a bit humbling to be defused so easily. "…Point taken. I guess it's better that I found out now."

Jin nodded sagely. "So… where do we go from here?" Asuka looked at him with an impish grin and a gleam in her eyes. "Depends… where do you feel like taking it?" Jin's eyes widened slightly. "We're related…" She scowled playfully, feigning irritation at his words. "Didn't I just say that I was adopted? I don't have ties to anyone… now, get that through your thick- although cute little head- and kiss me."

Did he need a bigger invitation?

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Asuka's, no longer caring about what was what. Besides, she had said it twice- there was no need to doubt it. Apparently, he didn't need a bigger invitation than the one she had given.

She sighed happily into the kiss, and thought to herself, _I could do this for the next two weeks, and not have a care in the world. I'm already ready for the tournament- why can't I have a little time for me now and then?_

Meanwhile, on the rooftops of Osaka, a battle was being fought.

A steel-forged katana cut a swath through the air, its intended victim barely dodging the swings. As Bryan came at him with a left body hook, the Manji Party leader quickly put his sword at his side, the blade facing downwards in a vertical line with his free hand gripping the back of the blade. As an aura of power quickly shielded him, Bryan was hit with it, collapsing to the floor and gasping for air.

"Hmph… I doubt that my clan was slain by the likes of you. You can't even attack me properly," Yoshimitsu commented. "No matter… now you die." He raised his sword, aiming the point of the blade at his neck, and thrust downwards. Unfortunately, playing dead can have its advantages. Bryan rolled away and rose up with his right fist in a vicious uppercut, catching the cyber-ninja right in the stomach.

"Me… die? Heh…haha… **muahahahahahaha**!" He slammed him on the ground with such force that Yoshimitsu was sent careening off of the ground like a pinball before tearing into him with a left jab, followed by a right roundhouse kick into two back knuckles, right then left, before blasting his right hand forward again. The last punch sent Yoshimitsu flying toward the edge of the skyscraper upon which they had found themselves.

"You should be more worried about your own self! How dare you challenge me? You'll be the one to die, just like the rest of your fool clansmen, who didn't have enough sense to get the hell out of my way!" With that, he ran toward the prone ninja- who hurt everywhere imaginable, mind you- and whipped his left leg around in a wide, low sweep, intent on kicking him off of the building.

Yoshi rolled to his right side… however, the kick was in such a wide radius that it hit anyway, but only knocked him to the side instead of off the building. It still hurt, though. Bryan picked a now devastated Yoshimitsu up from the ground with one hand, and held him suspended in the air, walking toward the edge of the building with an insane look in his eyes.

"Heh… not so confident now, are you? At least you'll be joining your fellow clansmen soon in the hereafter, you freak. Can't imagine why you all seem to have a death wish." He held him over the edge. "No matter… wish granted!" With that, he threw him down instead of dropping him, to make sure that he was dead.

A long, insane laugh rang over the city as the ninja fell from the heavens. But as he turned around, he found himself knocked over the edge with a low sword sweep from Yoshi's blade. Not only did he make his way back up and behind him, but he had finally landed a successful cut.

"**Grrraaaaagh**!" Bryan screamed in sheer rage on his way down, and was quickly silenced by his meeting with the floor, his blood littering the ground… again. And this time, technology wouldn't save him- the power generator that was installed within him was completely destroyed.

The rain would wash the blood clean, but the mess would still have to be cleaned up- it wouldn't be good to have him arrested now. Yoshimitsu made his way down with a graceful leap, plummeting fearlessly down the side of the building head first before flipping in mid-air and landing clean on his feet. He casually moved his hand in the air, making complex cuts and movements before finally thrusting his right palm forward, the kanji for fire appearing in mid air and a burst of flame heading for Bryan, igniting his body with soul fire on contact. The rain would have a hard time putting that out until it had done its work…

He hoped that the rain would wash the ashes away as well as he vanished from sight.

The next morning, Asuka was once again feeling so much better than she had the night before. And for once, she felt the energy coursing through her, could feel it working its way through her system. She stretched out like a lazy cat, feeling better than she had ever felt before.

Maybe it was because of last night… the kiss, and what started happening after… maybe something inside of her felt right now. She didn't know- all she knew was that it was something she wouldn't forget for a long time. Experimentally, she turned her head to one side and opened her eyes slightly, just to check and see if Jin was there.

What she saw made her smile.

There he was, sleeping with the most peaceful expression on his face.

_I bet he hasn't slept like this in a long time… just how long has he been having those dreams of his, anyway? I'll have to ask him about all that later. Right now, I'll just let him sleep and stuff. I suppose I'll sleep as well… this bed is so nice._

After a while, she found herself drifting off again.

Someone was watching again.

"…Hmmm. So they've joined forces, have they? This could be very unfortunate for my resurrection… good. They just might be the ones to kill me… but we'll see soon enough."

Certainly, there were others that were strong enough to defeat him… his friend, the detective, his grandson… many could kill him. But the Devil was persistent… tenacious. He constantly heard his voice in his head- that it would destroy everything, sooner or later.

Soon, he feared, it would make good on its threat. He had organized this tournament for one reason and one reason only- his death. This demon would not stain the earth with its taint, not as long as he still had control over himself. And the only way that could happen was if someone took him out.

He most definitely hoped that it was one of these two- if not anyone else first. As for the Zaibatsu, They could have it. It would probably benefit from a change of hands anyway. Speaking of his demon side, it came forth suddenly, as if the thought of killing him were a trigger. He barely held it back, but it was enough to trigger certain things…

Like Jin's Devil Gene.

He snapped awake, suddenly aware of something far beyond his range- something that was familiar to him. Asuka felt it too, but she felt Jin's demon coming forth instead of the other presence. As she placed a hand on his shoulder to pull him out of whatever he was going through, he relaxed visibly, his stiff body becoming loose again.

"What is it?" She could tell that something was wrong, but not what. Without thinking, Jin answered. "Him… the one that's behind this tournament… he's waiting for me." She quirked an eyebrow, intrigued somewhat. "You know him?" He shook his head- half to answer no, half to clear his mind. "No. But I can feel him, and he's waiting for me. I have to end this, once and for all."

She nodded and smiled at him. "I want to help. I don't care how, I just want to help." Jin looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. She could take care of herself perfectly well, and would make for a good ally. "That's fine by me. But if we happen to fight each other… if it comes down to that, only one of us will be left standing. Feelings don't have a place in a fight."

She shook her head at this. "You're wrong, you know. Emotions are what I use as weapons. They give me focus and strength, and I'm betting that they used to give you that as well, before you turned apathetic. You fought for something once, didn't you?"

He nodded, but before he could say anything, she drove onward. "Well then, find something else to fight for. Something you feel strongly about. When the time comes, you can do what you have to, without thinking about it. I still have to find the one who put dad in that hospital bed… so I still have something to fight for. You can find something too- no matter what it is."

Jin nodded. He knew perfectly well what- or rather who to fight for. "I'll keep that in mind." He finally got out of bed and stretched out, popping his joints and heading downstairs. "Come on; let's go get this over with."

The next set of rules was announced sometime later. Each participant would have one starting place, and one starting opponent. From there, they would have two different locations to head to next, or they could simply wait right where they were, and let the next opponent come to them.

The tournament would take place all around the globe- even in parts where mankind rarely visited. Not only was it a test of endurance, but it was also a test of technology- the cameras would be placed under the most extreme conditions- most of them were in danger of shorting out, due to the extreme temperatures of an area.

However, there was always a way to replace a camera… besides, these would be the best that money could buy and the mind could offer- said to withstand anything and everything, and still provide excellent clarity and reception. Well if it worked, then it worked. In any event, there was another rule in effect- fight money would be handed out at the end of each match, depending on the performance of the winner in both technical aspects and flair.

Of course, the places that were not ordained a fight area would be considered a match as well… so each participant carried with them a digital camera to verify a knockout. This served two purposes- the first was to confirm a victory. The second was to secure a medical team to get said fighter that got their ass handed to them out of the premises and into a recovery area.

At the end, ten more would be carted to the nearest recovery station, and be out of the tournament. However, those who passed wouldn't get out so easily… the tournament would continue as if nothing big had happened, but everyone would know that the rules had changed significantly…

The next time, eight would be carted to the nearest hospital, either for treatment of major injuries, or in a body bag. But one didn't need to worry about that just yet… for now, it was simple enough to advance. Knock out, TKO, or surrender… simple enough. Thus, two weeks had passed, and the preparations were complete…

It was time for the real fights to begin!

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A young woman was sitting on a park bench, casually listening to her CD. She didn't look like she minded at all that someone was coming in an attempt to knock the daylights out of her, or that her grandfather was in the hospital, and had only six months to live. Christie Montiero however, had plenty of worries.

She was anxious, first of all. She could very well lose right here- she wanted to get it over with and move on to the next opponent, or lose here and not worry anymore- or not worry as much. Certainly, there was another way to do things, but this was the only one she saw right now.

Second, she was nervous. She was worried that she was lacking something in her training, or had to make last-minute preparations. This wasn't a _jogo_- definitely not for fun. The other competitor wasn't her friend- or at least, they didn't consider her one of theirs. So she had to get into the mindset that this was a fight, not a game.

But she couldn't get her head around it.

Therefore, she listened to her music, and suddenly found her thoughts sorting themselves out. The situation was simpler than it seemed- she just had to stop worrying so much. She enjoyed how everything came together with the rhythm of the music that she listened to, and simply let herself go.

But that didn't mean that she couldn't hear anything else… even with her eyes closed, she could hear someone approaching, and then stopping right in front of her. The slight red haze that covered her lidded eyes suddenly blacked out, giving her more than enough warning. But she simply kept her eyes closed, and asked her question.

"Can I do something for you?"

"…Yes. You can do something for me…"

She heard the attack coming, the left leg whipping through the air. She casually raised her right forearm and blocked the axe kick, stopping it effectively before it hit her head. She lazily opened one eye, and then the other as she looked at her quite rude guest.

Shocked for a brief moment, she smiled at him, as if she expected him to be here. Heck, she had expected someone to come along, sooner or later. "Well, it's nice to see that you're still around… mister Mishima. News said that you were dead… then again, I don't believe everything I hear."

He smirked at her as he brought his leg back to the ground. She was much more observant than he thought- perhaps this would be a decent start to the tournament, after all. "Good for you… get out of my way. I'm after the one who planned this fool tournament in the first place." She smiled. "Then we have something in common. Though I can't let you go any further than here…"

"Is that so? Well then, why not try and stop me?" She grinned and suddenly kicked out with both legs as soon as his sentence ended intent on doing so. They slammed straight into his, while she leaned back with her hands on the top of the bench to pull herself upwards, effectively slamming her legs into his gut and tossing him backwards, landing right next to the fountain.

As she swung her legs back further, putting her on her feet, she smiled at him, this time a mocking smile. Still sweet, mind you, but mocking at the same time. "There… did that stop you enough?" He rose to his feet again, now wary of her. She casually walked forward, turning up the music on her cd.

"I guess not… well then, here we go!"

As a crowd began to gather, the official referee that was nearby picked up the sounds of a fight and ran over to preside over the events. It had begun.

London, England…

The young Ling Xiaoyu was casually admiring the garden in which she was situated, believing that it was quite possibly one of the prettiest things she had ever seen. Sure, she was age 20, but had a thing for the beautiful things in life. The referee was casually waiting for the other authorized entry to enter the fighting venue

However, the competition was already there. A man wearing mostly black was hiding in the shadows, waiting for her. His reflective shades had a perfect mirror image of her… he was just about ready to strike. Vanishing from sight, he suddenly reappeared above her, his left leg coming at her in a blade kick.

She heard the air shifting as something came at her from… well, nowhere, and did the one thing she could- she rolled backwards, right underneath the ninja. She looked at him, flustered at his sheer audacity. "W-what's the big idea? Here I am, enjoying the scenery, and you barge in like that!"

He simply kept his back turned and spoke. "You anticipated my attack at the last second. Interesting… Let's see you dodge this, girl." He suddenly turned, readying his left leg to kick straight at her head while he jumped into the air, and as he landed, he shot his right leg upwards while she was in the air, hitting her dead on.

It came at her with such a speed that she was caught completely off guard, and was sent flying, with the second kick giving her extra height. It was only made worse on her way down, as he leapt up again, striking out with his right leg in an outside crescent, followed by a left inside, and as he came down, caught her with a low back fist.

As she hit the ground, she immediately rolled to the side, but was stopped cold by a wide right front sweep kick, which hit her dead in her ribs as she tried to escape. Now writhing in pain, with everything hurting everywhere, she her eyes shut tight, just to block out the pain.

He stood there and waited for her to get up… if she could withstand such an attack. The referee counted off…

_No… I have to keep going! It's for the Mishima… I know I can save them, if I only tried! I have to fight! Don't think about the pain, and just get up!_

She got up slowly, though everything protested. The count was at six when she did so. "Pretty good… what's the name of the one who's going to be comatose when I'm done?"

He smirked and replied- something that he rarely did. Seeing as she got up from that entire string, he had both respect and pity for her. "I have no name. But if you want to call me anything… call me Raven. I'm about to make the next two minutes hell for you… Ling Xiaoyu."

She was a bit startled that he knew her name. Upon her surprise, he struck again, coming at her with a fast, high right knee. She got slammed again, but went on the offensive as he thrust his right palm out and upwards, aiming for her stomach in order to knock the wind out of her. Xiao parried the attack and came at him with her left hand, slamming it into his side and forcing him back a good three feet.

She wasted no time in talking as she ran after him, flipping forward in the air and bringing her left leg down on his gut, knocking the wind out of him. She ended up in phoenix stance, and just when he decided to rise up with a low left kick, she jumped over, kicking him dead in the head with her right leg and sending him sprawling again.

His head smacked against the pavement as he got wailed on, sending his world reeling. He couldn't get up for a good while, and the ref counted. One… two… three…

_Hmph. I can't say that she's bad… but I still have to get this done._

By the time he reached five, Raven was back up, but not before Xiao was upon him again just after the match resumed, leaping into the air and coming at him with a right front kick, followed by a left heel kick, and then one more right kick, straight into his forehead.

Only one had connected… the other two didn't even register. He suddenly appeared from above her, and she knew that she was in trouble as his left fist came crashing down on her forehead, guiding her to the ground with a vengeance. Her world went white as she was driven with crushing force into the cold, hard cobblestones, and she could hear her ears ringing from the blow.

She could barely hear the official counting, and could swear that she could hear her opponent talking to her. "Don't worry… you're not getting up. Just lie there and rest for a while- this tournament isn't for you. Oh, and don't take it personally… it's just business." She seethed at the thought of him talking her down like that, and her world went into sharp focus again. The ref had reached nine when she rose again, springing to her feet.

"I wouldn't talk so soon, jerk! I won't lose to you!"

He looked a bit shocked- her getting up from such a telling blow was almost unthinkable. But then, he smirked. He hadn't done such a thing in a long time; much less show any emotion at all. The reason why? It was simple- she couldn't be able to take another one like that- he would've been right in any case.

"That's fine…" he said as he finally got into stance. "But I won't allow you to interfere with my mission. You're going to have to stay down next time, if you know what's good for you." She had enough of his arrogance. "I'll have fun hearing those words after your teeth are missing!"

With that, she charged forward again…

Lei Wulong had pretty much given up on dissuading the girl in front of him to enter the tournament. Asuka stood defiantly in front of him, daring him to say something. They were on the rooftops of Osaka, Japan, and she was pretty much irritated at him telling her to stay out.

"This guy can kill you if he really wanted to- those schools he trashed are no joke. I'd rather that this stay police business- you should be taking care of your father instead." She scoffed at him. "That's already been done- he's fine. This is personal for me- I can't stop just because someone tells me to." She got into stance. "I'd rather not have to do this, but if you're just going to be in my way instead of helping me…"

He shook his head, giving up entirely. "All right, then. Looks like we'll have to settle this the hard way." There was no real referee up here, so the cameras would have to do the work for them. How? Biometrics would read vital signs, stamina, and fatigue, all to the decimal and exact point. As soon as it reached a certain point and a knockdown was scored, the count would begin, a series of audible beeps sounding off.

It was up to the participant from there to get themselves back together before the count reached ten- and even after that, the winner would still have to take the picture. On verification of time expiration, a buzzer would sound- and they would be given a decent thirty seconds to rest before the next buzzer sounded off, and the next round commenced.

Simple enough… TKO would have to be on the fighters' best judgment. There had to be an air of professionalism and respect to it, after all. Of course, if they were killed in the process, local authorities would be contacted, and the perpetrator would be forcibly ejected from the tournament. These alarms would be turned off when the rules changed…

In any case, Lei started off with a lazy look in his eyes… he stumbled around and staggered, his steps off balance and off kilter. Asuka's eyes narrowed- she wasn't falling for this act. She approached him cautiously; wary of his drunken fists… she decided to test the waters a bit and came at him with a front sweep with her right leg, and got stopped cold with a quick left kick, his heel slamming down on her shin before he leaned in and whacked her over the head with his right fist.

As he took a swig from his invisible bottle, she got a bit irritated. She had hoped to catch him off of his feet, but the story was different. She quickly rose up, whipping both legs out in a circle, repeating the process again. As the kicks came at him however, he tripped over his own legs- either by accident or design- and kicked out viciously with both legs. It should've knocked her down, but served its purpose anyway- she went straight over him, and couldn't stop, due to the momentum of the second kick.

Not only that, but her back was turned to him as she landed… it gave him a prime opportunity to rise up on his hands and kick out at her, left leg first, then the right. Both slammed into the small of her back, and the second one sent her down on her face. Undoubtedly, she was in trouble if he continued to fight like a drunk…

Lei rolled backwards, smirking at her as he rose to his feet. She was good, no doubt… but she had to have a high water mark somewhere. When Asuka got back up, she was angry. She was being made a fool of- that would change quickly!

"Fine… you wanna play that way? Then here I come!"

Sierra Vista, Arizona…

Jin was standing in front of a major problem…

"They say you're the two-time King of Iron Fist… am I right?"

Jin shrugged. He didn't see how that would matter any. "What of it? If you want my title, you can have it. I'm after one thing in this tournament, and that's the one who's behind it. You're not my concern." The blonde smirked at him, knowing full well that everyone had the same goal. "Is that so? What if I challenged your superiority? I was destined to be the best- and no one's gonna say otherwise after I win this."

Jin shook his head. "I suppose that means that you're not getting out of my way then?" Paul Phoenix smiled. "You got that right, buddy boy. Just be a good kid and stay down after you run out of gas- you'll be in less shame that way."

Jin got into stance- he would have to take care of this one quickly. "I wouldn't talk so soon… come."

Paul advanced cautiously- he had learned his lesson in the last tournament. He wasn't going to underestimate his opponent again, especially one who had gone and won two of these damned things. He pretty much knew that this guy wasn't about to fall for any old trick- he had to come up with something interesting.

As Paul got into range, Jin noticed how cautious he was being. He couldn't help but smile- the last tournament must have taught him something. Well then, it looked like he would have to take the offensive this time. So much for being on guard… when his target was in range, Jin suddenly lunged at him with his right arm, the range and speed of the attack impressive, even to Phoenix.

But he blocked, and came at him with his own right fist- a familiar assault that used to be known as his "shut down" move. It was still known to be feared for its sheer speed and as a retaliatory strike. And it did its job quite well, crashing into Jin's stomach with crushing force, and winding him completely.

Jin flew back a few good feet, and Paul wasted no time in running after him, making an attempt to trample him as he ran along. Jin rolled to his right, just as the stomp came, and quickly rose up, sweeping low at him with his left leg as he did so. Paul was knocked to the ground, and Jin followed up by sliding forward and kicking out in a low right roundhouse kick, catching him while he was on the ground. To finish, he brought said same leg down in a guillotine kick, flipping forward and bringing his heel down on his chest, knocking the wind out of him and rattling his bones severely.

Jin rolled backwards and got up, getting back into stance. He still had a wary eye on him- his speed was not to be trifled with. As Paul got up a bit slower than usual, he gave Jin a crooked grin. "Yeah, you're not too bad. I suppose I'll have to work a bit harder to beat you, huh?"

Jin began approaching him, intent on finishing the job, and came at him with a left body thrust punch, intent on sending him to the dirt again. Unfortunately, though it was fast, it was not fast enough, and he got slammed by a right step-in elbow from Paul, which was followed by a quite odd move- ducking in quite low and delivering a right uppercut to Jin's legs, effectively cutting them out from under him.

Finally, he punched downwards, using his right arm once again to smash Jin's face against the ground, blurring his vision and rattling his brain for a bit. The referee pretty much knew that Jin was pretty devastated after being whacked like that, so he counted. One…. Two…. Three….

**Chapter 12: The Q-Finals 1 (Enter the Tekken)**

Ouch… that was a painful start for a few people. I have now effectively shown eight competitors. As you can see, the elimination field has been broadened from eight to ten, for the sake of fairness. So then, it's up to you, dear reader, how it will end from here. Are there some of you who feel the need to see someone get burned in the next chapter? Rooting for a certain person? Put it in your review…

Remember, three votes for a certain outcome gets you the win or loss you've been looking for. Also, there's the thing about staying or going… should the winner stay at the certain stage, due to its location and atmosphere, or is it time to go jet-setting? You decide!

Stages mentioned:

**Brazil:** Park in Christie's ending

**Arizona:** Waterfall

**London:** Secret Garden

**Japan:** City at Sunset

_Ja ne_.


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